The CLOSUP Energy & Environmental Policy Initiative Fracking Project

Summary

Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking," and new horizontal drilling techniques are creating significant opportunities to expand natural gas production across the United States. However, the absence of comprehensive federal legislation regarding hydraulic fracturing has placed the regulation of unconventional gas drilling primarily within the purview of state and local governments.

To improve understanding of state and local policy issues related to fracking, CLOSUP launched a multi-faceted research project on the topic as part of the Center's Energy and Environmental Policy Initiative (EEPI). The CLOSUP Fracking Project began in the fall of 2012 with a public opinion survey on a wide range of issues related to hydraulic fracturing in Michigan and Pennsylvania, two states that share many things in common, but that have significantly different recent experiences with fracking.

Activities related to this project concluded around June, 2019.

The CLOSUP Fracking Project included survey research, case studies, web-based information resources, events, policy reports, and more, with the goal of informing policy debate around the issue of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

• fracking