Dan Bobkoff · The Saudi Arabia of the Midwest? Ohio Prepares for Natural Gas Future

December 22nd, 2011


This past fall, 300 people showed up for a natural gas industry job fair near Akron. Josh Dydek, 34, of Medina talks to an interviewer with a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy. He said he couldn’t start until April, so he was told to reapply for a job then – which he plans to do.

Natural gas extracted from shale rock, some say, is the most positive development in the nation’s energy outlook in 50 years.  Ohio sits atop some of the largest deposits.

Big name oil and gas companies are flocking to the Buckeye State in a frenzy of preparation for “fracking” – that’s the innovative and controversial technology used to drill through and “fracture” the shale.  It un-traps natural gas that lies within large layers of rock.

Ohio John Kasich is one of the industry’s biggest cheerleaders, saying it could be a real “game changer” for the state’s economy.  This week he also said tough, new regulations are needed to make sure “fracking” doesn’t harm the environment.  From our Changing Gears project, Mhari Saito and Dan Bobkoff have this overview on the new “natural gas economy.”

Category: Biztech, Government, Industry, Ohio, chesapeake energy, fracking, hydraulic fracturing, innovation, jobs, natural gas
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