America faces new energy opportunities based on the emergence of abundant resources. Once largely dependent on foreign producers, the abundance of newly tapped domestic shale oil and gas has positioned the country as a world energy leader. The United States has the resources now to fuel manufacturing and business at home while helping fulfill global demand, and West Virginians have the potential to benefit greatly from the insatiable global market.

In its latest biennial report, the Potential Gas Committee, a group of natural gas exploration, production and transportation experts, estimates the U.S. has the highest levels of recoverable fossil fuels in the organization’s 48-year history. West Virginia is now within the top 10 producers of natural gas in the U.S. producing about 539.9 trillion cubic feet of gas in 2013. These numbers add to the mounting case for expediting permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, creating more living wage jobs, instead of allowing the exporting process to languish inside the Department of Energy.

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