New American energy sources marks an unexpected paradigm shift

Not even the most optimistic commentator knowledgeable with the American energy industry could have predicted the global impact of the newly-discovered technology that permits the economical tapping of the country's new energy supplies. The development is so significant that it has dwarfed arguments between liberals and conservatives as to the proper role of "green energy".

To politicians on both ends of the spectrum, the new technology coupled with rising energy prices is a true "win-win" situation. Natural gas is a cleaner, more environmentally friendly method of providing power for all sorts of uses, from heating homes and businesses, to fueling manufacturing, and running new generation mass transit and even automobiles. previous concerns about contamination of drinking water by "fracking" and the threat of onerous new Environmental Protection Agency Regulations (EPA) have quieted.

America now has the unexpected luxury of having not only sufficient energy for domestic usage, but also enough to export, resulting in consequences for OPEC and countries who have used the west's energy dependence for political purposes. One can also speculate on the consequences of the U.S. not having to project American military might to protect valuable energy sources in unfriendly countries.