Energizing Wisconsin
Mark Green
Posted September 30, 2016
Wisconsin doesn’t produce any oil, it doesn’t produce any natural gas. But it produces great sand – lots of it that plays a critical role in America’s energy renaissance.
Click on the thumbnail to view a two-page energy infographic for the Badger State.
Wisconsin is the nation’s leading fracking sand producer, supplying 24 million tons of it, accounting for 44 percent of U.S. production, in 2014. It’s a special sand, composed of 95 to 99 percent silica and quartz, and it serves a special purpose in hydraulic fracturing. Once shale and other tight-rock formations are fractured by a pressurized solution comprised mainly of water and sand, the sand granules hold open the fissures so that oil and/or natural gas can be collected.
In this way Wisconsin helps illustrate the long economic chain of the oil and natural gas industry – the suppliers of materials, equipment, technical support and more – which boosts state and local economies beyond exploration and development itself.
As for Wisconsin, the state used more natural gas (24.8 percent) than any other energy source in 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Coal accounted for 56.4 percent of Wisconsin’s net generation of electricity last year, followed by natural gas (20.4 percent) and nuclear (15.4 percent).
All of us can thank Wisconsin for its sand. It’s integral to the safe fracking that has delivered an energy revolution in this country – one that has made the U.S. the world’s No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas. This revolution has lifted the economy, created jobs and lowered costs for U.S. households – while also helping reduce U.S. energy-related carbon emissions to levels not seen in more than 20 years. To sustain and grow our energy renaissance, we need pro-development policies. Some of the benefits of such an approach are outlined in a chart on Page 2 of the Wisconsin infographic.
Energy is essential for virtually every aspect of our daily lives. It powers national, state and local economies, gets us to work and goes into products we rely on for health and comfort. Safe, responsible energy development here at home is linked to national security as well as Americans’ individual prosperity and liberty – in Wisconsin and all the 50 states of energy.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.