Former ISTPP Director, the late Kent Portney, and ISTPP Research Fellow Bryce Hannibal have published “The Impact of Water Scarcity on Support for Hydraulic Fracturing Regulation: A Water-Energy Nexus Study” in Energy Policy. In this paper, they examine the relationship between awareness of the water-energy nexus and local water scarcity on an individual’s support for regulating fracking.
Dr. Portney and Dr. Hannibal hypothesize that an individual’s awareness of the nexus relationship between water and energy, proximity to fracking activities, and local water scarcity influence that person’s level of support for regulating fracking. Fracking requires the injection of large volumes of water to fracture shale rock formations so that natural gas and petroleum can be extracted for energy use. Using the respondents’ zip codes, they also investigated the influence of their proximity to fracking operations and local drought conditions on their support for fracking regulations. Based on the data available, the authors found no relationship between these variables. They also analyzed the survey responses from 621 Texans to identify their water-energy nexus awareness and support for fracking regulations. They found that most individuals who are aware of the connection between fracking and natural resources are more supportive of strict fracking regulations.
Hannibal, Bryce, and Kent Portney. 2020. “The Impact of Water Scarcity on Support for Hydraulic Fracturing Regulation: A Water-Energy Nexus Study.” Energy Policy 146. (Early view available online.) DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111718
