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Rural Gas RushIn what is becoming an increasingly common scene in southwestern Pennsylvania, a farm is surrounded by gas tanks and access roads.The region is in the midst of what is now known to be one of the largest reservoirs of natural gas in the world—some estimate that it's second only to the giant Pars field in the Persian Gulf. The prospect of abundant, cheap natural gas in the United States—especially gas that’s easily delivered by pipeline to large population centers on the East Coast—has lured billions of dollars in development money from around the world.Read article: "Natural Gas Stirs Hope and Fear in Pennsylvania"
Photograph by Scott Goldsmith, National Geographic

In the Farmland, an Energy Rush

Pennsylvania sits atop one of the largest reservoirs of natural gas in the world, a resource that could boost jobs and shake up the national energy equation. But can this important resource be extracted sustainably?

October 23, 2010