The rapid rise in shale gas and tight oil in the United States constitutes nothing less than a revolution in oil and natural gas. No longer can there be any doubt about the dramatic change in America's energy position. U.S. oil production is up 50% since 2008, when we were supposedly slated to run out of oil. Natural gas production has increased by 33% since 2005, and shale gas alone now constitutes about 45% of total natural gas production.
This revolution is not just about energy production; it's an economic story along several dimensions, whether measured in consumers' pocketbooks, jobs, U.S. manufacturing output, or America's increased competitiveness in the world economy.
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