Among the arguments against hydrofracking in New York State and across the U.S. is that drillers will be taking the gas from New York and elsewhere and exporting it to countries like China and India, throwing a giant wrench in the argument that fracking is the path to energy independence.
But it's not clear that much gas will be exported.
Department of Energy approval is required before gas can be sent to countries where the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement. With the price of natural gas at around $3.00 in the U.S., the debate is raging over whether gas companies should be able to export their product.
Just a few weeks after President Obama visited the Capital Region, an important member of his cabinet was also in town.
Energy Secretary, and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Steven Chu was in the area to tour the GE Global Research center outside of Schenectady. He also received an honorary degree from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
During his visit, Chu sat down with New York NOW to talk about national energy policy, and some of the issues facing New York - like the future of hydrofracking and nuclear power.
