First of all, I want to thank many of you for your support and encouragement! As was recently announced, I am pleased to share with you that my book “America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan” has been named as one of ten finalists under the category of political science for Book of the Year Award by Foreword Reviews. The winners will be announced in Chicago on June 28th at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference.
Also, thank you to Western Oklahoma and Elk City followers of the Facebook Page- America Needs America’s Energy. Of the over 5000 followers as of this writing, Elk City stands at number 4 in most supporters. The top ten cities by the number of followers are: 1. Oklahoma City, 2. Edmond, 3. New York City, 4. Elk City, 5. Los Angeles, 6. Chicago, 7. Houston, 8. Atlanta, 9. Brooklyn, NY, and 10. Las Vegas, NV. Tulsa is number 12.
As Elk City and Western Oklahoma citizens are very aware of, the oil and gas industry is boosting the economy by providing jobs. The energy industry is an important economic driver for this Nation and that message needs to be told across the country as we “Create Together the People’s Energy Plan”.
For the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, i.e. oil and gas extraction/drilling development, employment has increased by over 60 percent or nearly 194,000 jobs during 2001 to 2011. The upstream energy sector makes up approximately one-fourth of the total oil and gas related employment.
What has contributed to the increase in employment? Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have served in great measure to the increase in employment.
Employment in 2012 nationwide shows a differing trend between upstream and the US economy. Upstream employment is continuing to increase, averaging 24 percent higher compared with the 2008 US economic impact.
Upstream employment has increased over two times in many states with the largest increase in North Dakota and Pennsylvania. With the activity in the Bakkan trend, North Dakota has gone from 1,500 jobs in 2001 to close to 10,000 jobs in 2011. In Pennsylvania, upstream employment jumped from 3,500 jobs in 2001 to over 17,500 jobs in 2011.
During the 2001 to 2011 timeframe, upstream employment results were: Oklahoma adding 22,600 jobs, Colorado adding 14,900 jobs, Wyoming adding 6,400 jobs and New Mexico adding 5,400 jobs.
The overall oil and gas onshore industry sector efforts resulted in US GDP of $321 billion in 2010. It is estimated that federal, state taxes, royalty payments, leases bonuses and other payments totaled $69 billion in 2010. The Oklahoma energy industry has accounted for over 50 billion dollars of Oklahoma’s State Product.
The Oklahoma energy workforce has provided over the last several years, nearly $1 billion in gross production taxes alone.
By 2015, IHS CERA forecasts that shale and other unconventional resources will be responsible for 2.5 million jobs, increasing to 3 million by 2020.
Bottom-line, U. S. Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Development.
America Needs America’s Energy!
Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, with 5000 supporters and counting. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!