NYT Energy Special Section: "Fuel to Burn: Now What?"

"The reversal of fortune in America’s energy supplies in recent years holds the promise of abundant and cheaper fuel, and it could have profound effects on what people drive, domestic manufacturing and America’s foreign policy.

Cheaper fuel produced domestically could reduce the cost of shipping and manufacturing, trim heating and cooling bills, improve the auto market and provide tens of thousands of new jobs.

It might also pose new environmental challenges, both predictable and unforeseen, by damping enthusiasm for clean forms of energy and derailing efforts to wean the nation from its wasteful energy habits.

But for Americans battered by rising gasoline prices, frustrated by the dependence on foreign oil, skeptical of the benefits or practicality of renewable fuels and afraid of nuclear power, the appeal of plentiful domestic oil and gas could far outweigh the costs."

Jad Mouawad reports for the New York Times April 10, 2012, as part of the paper's special section on energy.

SEE ALSO:

"Out of Africa (and Elsewhere): More Fossil Fuels" (New York Times)

"Renewable Sources of Power Survive, but in a Patchwork" (New York Times)

"Natural Gas Signals a ‘Manufacturing Renaissance’" (New York Times)

"Brazil, Where Oil and Women Mix Powerfully" (New York Times)

"Meccas of Shopping Try Hand at Being Misers of Energy" (New York Times)

"Real-Time Data to Reduce Electric Use" (New York Times)

"Subtly Selling ‘Green’ to the Flat-Screen Crowd" (New York Times)