By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-892804.mp3
Dallas, TX – Natural gas drillers need to communicate better with neighbors who have environmental concerns. KERA's BJ Austin says that was part of the discussion at a day-long natural gas conference hosted by the George W. Bush Institute.
The conference, called "Natural Gas Nation" gathered more than 200 industry executives, engineers and scientists on the SMU campus to talk about supply and demand, growth and policy.
David Biegler, CEO of Southcross Energy, says it's time to stop calling natural gas a "bridge" to some other form on energy, such as solar or wind.
Biegler: When you have a hundred-plus years supply, that would be like saying that oil at the beginning in 1900 was only a bridge to something else. We need to start thinking of gas as a critical component of our nation's energy resource base.
Biegler says his industry faces three obstacles: access to right-of-way and land; money; and regulation. Industry officials are closely watching moves in Congress and the EPA to add more federal regulation to drilling. Environmental concerns have grown since gas wells became part of the densely-populated urban landscape.
Bruce Bullock, with SMU's McGuire Energy Institute, says natural gas officials could learn from the chemical industry, which has worked in urban centers for years.
Bullock: Community awareness panels, voluntary third party audits, and things of that nature have obviated the need for further regulation. So, there are tools out there than can be used in lieu of additional regulation.
President George W. Bush told those gathered that better technology, including horizontal drilling, is allowing the U.S. to capture a critically important energy source, create jobs, and move the country toward more energy independence.