The Freedom to Frack Act, a bill that would withhold certain federal grants from states that issue statewide hydraulic fracturing bans, has been reintroduced in Washington by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.
Much of Central New York, Western New York, and the Southern Tier lie above the Marcellus Shale and the deeper Utica Shale formations. According to Tenney, these tremendous resources alone could support the state’s energy needs for decades and create hundreds of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers. In 2014, New York implemented a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The ban was then officially established in 2015 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and codified in 2020 by the New York State Legislature.
Tenney said the statewide fracking ban directly opposes environmental science and basic economics. The NY-24 representative states American natural gas is the cleanest in the world, and its exportation has been the single greatest force behind the reduction in global CO2 emissions. She went on to say the ban has also been a disaster for New York’s economy, as despite its abundant natural resources, New Yorkers pay some of the highest prices in the country for energy.
“President Trump has taken bold action to unleash American energy production through multiple Executive Orders, and it’s time for states like New York to follow suit. I introduced the Freedom to Frack Act to push back against Albany’s anti-science, politically motivated ban on hydraulic fracturing. States that refuse to comply with these federal energy directives should face the consequences, including the loss of federal funding. Albany’s baseless, anti-American energy policies have blocked access to valuable local resources for too long. By lifting these restrictions, we can stimulate economic growth, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and fully unlock the potential of American energy,” said Congresswoman Tenney.
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