In his speech to the State Chamber of Oklahoma on Thursday, National Association of Manufacturers’ President John Engler discussed jobs creation through energy, infrastructure and exports. On the energy front, he discussed the astonishing expansion of domestic natural gas production (and potential production), thanks to technological advances in hydrofracturing.

Following are his prepared remarks from that section:

In Oklahoma, a proud tradition of supporting energy has helped keep your unemployment 3 percentage points below the national average.

You’re one of the states benefiting from development of shale gas, in this case the Woodford Shale. In Texas, there’s the Barnett Shale; in Arkansas, the Fayetteville Shale; in Louisiana the Haynesville Shale. Since 2000, gas from shale has grown from less than 1 percent of the nation’s production to about 10 percent.

Perhaps the most promising development is the Marcellus Shale underneath Pennsylvania and New York and West Virginia. Analysts say the Marcellus alone has enough gas to meet the nation’s needs for at least 14 years.

These natural gas deposits are close to northeastern population and manufacturing centers – they could be a real boon to consumers and industry in the area. But environmental groups have stirred up opposition, for example, in New York State, where there’s a pitched battle going on over natural gas drilling.

Opponents play on people’s fears of a technology that’s actually been in use for decades –- hydrofracturing. Thanks to massive R&D by energy companies, the technology has been improved, made even safer, and combined with horizontal drilling to open these shale deposits.

Oklahoma’s unemployment rate in October was 7 percent.

Three from the government view of things, three from the private sector…

Carbon Tax, Eh? From the Winnipeg Sun: “Last Tuesday, as the rest of Canada celebrated our nation’s birthday, left coasters awoke to a new “green” era and an extra 2.4 cents per litre at the pump. This startling introduction to B.C.’s provincial carbon tax is just the beginning with plans in place to increase the province’s take to 7.2 cents a litre by 2012. That of course is on top of all existing tax rates applied to fossil fuels, all fossil fuels.” Works out to about a dime a gallon U.S., but hey, they’re just getting started.

Wiedergeburt von Kernkraft  From Deutsche Welle: “European Commission President Barroso praised the value of nuclear energy in a German newspaper interview on Sunday, firing up the ongoing debate in the country — and the cabinet — already split over the issue. Jose Manuel Barroso said that nuclear power could provide at least a temporary solution to the ongoing energy crisis.” On the books is a plan to shut down Germany’s 17 nuclear reactors by 2021.

Conserve, Or Else:  From Deutsche Welle: “EU energy ministers are considering making energy efficiency legally binding across the Union, French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said on Saturday, July 5, in Paris.  ‘But this is very difficult to evaluate, and so we must work out many details before it can be applied,” Borloo told DPA news agency.’”

Drill, & Save, Now… An editorial in The New York Post: “Funny how quickly $4-a-gallon gas can smoke out hypocrites – as last week’s Pew Research poll, citing a dramatic spike in the share of Americans demanding more energy sources and less environmental protection, shows. The nation, it seems, now favors developing new sources over “saving the planet” by a hefty 3-2 margin. And get this: The biggest shift came among – yep! – liberals. Seems sanctimonious tree-huggers and caribou-coddlers have their price: $4 gas.”

Private Investment in Iraq: An editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Iraq’s Oil Surge: “Here’s a thought experiment: Assume that Iraq’s democratic government declared it was nationalizing its oil industry, a la Venezuela or Saudi Arabia, while excluding American companies from the country. How do you think U.S. politicians would react? With angry cries of ‘ingratitude’ and ‘this is what Americans died for’? Of course they would, led no doubt by that critic for all reasons, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. So it is passing strange that Mr. Schumer and other Senators are now assailing Iraq precisely because it is opening up to foreign oil companies, especially to U.S. majors like Exxon Mobil and Chevron. For some American pols, everything that happens in Iraq is bad news, especially when it’s good news for the U.S.”

Arkansas, an Energy State: From AP: “SEARCY, Ark. (AP) _ As drilling companies continue to sink natural gas wells in White County and elsewhere in the Fayetteville Shale play, business leaders are lobbying for improved roads and environmental groups are concerned not enough attention is being paid to potential long-term effects.” The Fayetteville formation is a Barnett Shale analog, made more valuable through high prices and technological advances.