• What if... Hydraulic Fracturing was Banned? (2020 Edition)

Reports
December 18, 2019

This paper is the first in series of updated reports that were originally produced by the Global Energy Institute in 2016, each taking a substantive look at what might have happened in the past – or could happen in the future – if certain energy-related comments and policy prescriptions put forth by prominent politicians and their supporters were actually adopted. We call this the “Energy Accountability Series 2020.”

The recent growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production has been a boon to both our economy and the environment. From new jobs and higher tax revenues to lower energy costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, there is no question the shale energy renaissance has greatly improved America’s energy outlook.

Recently, however, some candidates for elected office have pledged to ban the very technology that has enabled this boom—hydraulic fracturing (HF), or fracking. This raises an important question: what would happen to American jobs and the economy if hydraulic fracturing was banned? In this report, the Global Energy Institute has undertaken the modeling and analysis to answer that question.