There’s No Debate Fracking Is Bringing Manufacturing Back
Wednesday October 19, 2016
As Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump take the stage tonight for their final debate, one thing they can both agree on is the fact that America’s surge in natural gas production, which has driven down prices, is bringing manufacturing back.
Only a few years ago, the United States watched manufacturing jobs get shipped overseas. In fact, some of the hardest hit areas were in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, leaving the tristate, typically defined as the “Rust Belt,” suffering economically.
But then fracking came to the Marcellus and Utica shales and everything changed. Within a few short years, vacant plants along the Ohio River were given new life and thousands of new jobs were created.
On the Democratic side, Clinton recently referenced a report that discussed how the U.S. was on track to surpass Russia in domestic oil and natural gas production and went on to note,
“What that means for viable manufacturing and industrialization in this country is enormous.”
On the Republican side, Trump has agreed that our energy renaissance has been a boon for trade and manufacturing,
“The oil and natural gas industry supports 10 million high-paying Americans jobs and can create another 400,000 new jobs per year. This exploration will also create a resurgence in American manufacturing — dramatically reducing both our trade deficit and our budget deficit.”
The White House National Economic Council recently re...