The White House has launched an interagency working group to supervise unconventional domestic natural gas and oil research, according to an announcement made Friday.
The Energy Department, the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency formed a partnership to align unconventional natural gas and oil resource research and development.
The three agencies said they will coordinate current and future research projects in order to better position the administration’s ability to expand safe and healthy natural gas and oil production.
Interior Secretary David Hayes said the agencies intend to use science and research in expanding safe U.S. oil and gas production, adding the agencies will collaborate to streamline research.
Energy Secretary Arun Majumdar said shale gas is having a transformative impact on the U.S. energy landscape and improving energy security.
The agencies will focus on identifying research topics where collaboration can effectively yield better technologies that support policy decisions, according to the announcement.
EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe said the partnership and U.S. energy advances could create jobs as well.
The White House issued a set of strategies Wednesday in order to increase energy security on the battlefield.
