Perryman, a Texas economist with Waco-based Perryman Group, was commissioned by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. Bill Thornton, CEO of the Fort Worth chamber, said the study was commissioned to see how or whether the economic downturn had affected past projections about the industry.

“What we found was that it’s a bulwark of our economy,” Thornton said. “Virtually nonexistent a decade ago and now — thanks to new technology developed here — is generating huge benefits in terms of tax revenues, payroll and personal income for our region and the state.”

Some other tidbits from the story:

• Total regional impact of the Barnett Shale will be $11.1 billion in 2011.
• Employment in the region is about 8.7 percent higher, and personal income about 8.5 percent more, than it would be without the Barnett Shale, which has generated 38.5 percent of the area’s economic growth since 2001.
• The Barnett Shale will have generated $5.3 billion in taxes for local governments over the 2001-11 study period, including an estimated $730.6 million in 2011. The state will receive estimated benefits of $911.8 million.
• The Barnett Shale’s impact is now about 5 percent higher than that of aircraft manufacturing and 10 percent greater than air transportation, which includes Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Dallas Love Field and Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

The full article over at the Star-Telegram is worth a read. You can read the full report, A Decade of Drilling, at the Fort Worth Chamber.

The Troops to Energy Jobs initiative is an effort to create an accelerated program for returning military veterans into the national energy workforce. Our military does an amazing job preparing our troops with the skills they need to succeed in the field, so why not take these skills and translate them into a career in energy?

The program works by speeding up the training process required for those in the energy workforce, by applying relevant military training to class credits.  And for added convenience, those classes will be available online.

Troops to Energy Jobs will work with the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and Labor, as well as a variety of other institutions to help foster this partnership between the U.S. military and the energy industry.  A survey by CEWD estimated that by 2015, there would be 100,000 job openings in the energy industry, and we clearly need well qualified, dedicated and hardworking people to fill these positions. Who better than our veterans!

The program will target all branches of the military, so all service men and women are eligible.

AGA, as a member of the CEWD, fully supports this program that provides excellent job opportunities to America’s finest, while at the same time training highly skilled workers to help our industry.  The program provides rewarding jobs to those who truly deserve them—a true win-win in our book.

The American Gas Association (AGA) supports President Obama’s and Congress’ energy and environmental policy priorities that aim to further develop renewable energies. However, we need to recognize that it will be years before these alternative fuels will be available in quantities to replace existing fuels that are so important in sustaining our economy. Therefore, more attention should be placed on our energy security by encouraging more American fuel source development. As the cleanest burning fossil fuel, natural gas is being looked to with more frequency to generate electricity, putting upward pressure on its price and making it less affordable for residential customers who rely on it to meet essential human needs (98% of natural gas is produced in North America).  In the future, when renewables are able to take on more of that electricity generation, it will dampen demand for natural gas in that market and in turn make it more affordable for our customers to heat their homes, cook their meals and ensure hot water comes out of the tap.

While renewable energy initiatives are one part of a complex combination of future energy solutions, the timetables being discussed for substantially increasing the use of renewables for electricity generation are optimistic at best, meaning natural gas will remain the fuel of choice in the electricity generation market.

The good news is that natural gas is already here and it is efficient, clean burning and found in abundance throughout North America.

Natural gas currently comprises almost one-fourth of all energy used in the United States and is directly linked to the economic well-being of the nation. In fact, there are currently at least 5.8 million Americans who are employed either directly or indirectly by the natural gas and oil industries. Of those 5.8 million Americans, there are 1.8 million people who are employed directly by the companies that produce, ship and supply natural gas and oil to American consumers, with another 4 million Americans employed in supporting positions indirectly created by the development of America’s domestic energy.

Since America’s natural gas and oil workers earned an individual average of more than $66,000 in 2004, which is $20,000 more than the combined household income for the average American family, these higher paying jobs also help employ other Americans in a variety of businesses – including automobile manufacturing, housing construction, retail sales and more.

In the current financial and economic crisis, natural gas has a great opportunity to help revitalize our economy, to help fight climate change and to help enhance America’s energy security – all at the same time.

CEWD, of which AGA is a founding member, was formed along with Edison Electric Institute,  Nuclear Energy Institute, and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to develop solutions for the coming workforce shortage in the utility industry.

CEWD and the Reserve signed a partnership agreement last week, pledging to work together to help Reservists and returning servicemen and women pursue careers in energy.

What better place is there to find skilled, reliable, high-caliber workers than the Army Reserve?  Kudos to these two organizations for developing this sage and practical partnership.