THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
STUDY SUGGESTS HYDRAULIC FRACTURING BOOSTS LOCAL ECONOMIES (2017)
August 15, 2023
(last updated on November 22, 2023)
PUBLISHED ON JAN 3, 2017
In the first comprehensive nationwide study of hydraulic fracturing's impact on local economies where the technique is used, the results suggest that "fracking" provides net economic benefits, including increased income, employment, and housing prices. Taking into account "local changes in amenities, including factors...such as truck traffic, criminal activity, and beliefs regarding negative health effects," Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC) director Michael Greenstone and his coauthors found fracking's costs are outweighed by the benefits, which "total $1,200 to $1,900 a year for the average household." Read full story»