Keystone Energy Forum

North Carolina's rich onshore and offshore energy resources hold the potential to make us a leader in American energy production.

North Carolina's offshore oil and natural gas resources can increase energy security and drive new jobs. These resources can also add billions of dollars in revenue to fund schools, roads and other much-needed services.

Geologists have identified natural gas shale formations throughout parts of Lee, Chatham, Durham, Wake and Orange counties -- resources which could be extracted through a process known as hydraulic fracturing.

America now occupies a position of energy leadership that was unthinkable a short time ago. These developments are strengthening America's energy and economic security and benefiting tens of millions of individuals. With both American and world energy demand expected to increase in the future, the continued availability of the full range of America’s energy resources will continue to grow in importance.

It will take smart energy policies to keep America as the new energy superpower.