Can the Natural Gas Sector Save the US Economy?

It may not pique the public’s interest quite like finance or information technology, but it just could just save the U.S. economy.

Indeed, the natural gas industry supports some 2.8 million jobs — either directly through companies engaged in exploration and drilling or indirectly through manufacturers that use the fuel as a raw material, according to the American Gas Association.

The real potential for economic impact, however, lies in the vast reservoirs of shale gas that are newly accessible through hydraulic fracturing...