12
February 2013
Past Event
Institutional Choices for Regulating Oil and Gas Wells

Institutional Choices for Regulating Oil and Gas Wells

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
February 12, 2013
Default Event Image
12
February 2013
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Speakers:
Chris DeMuth

Distinguished Fellow, Hudson Institute, former administrator of OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and editor-in-chief of Regulation

Natalie Tawil

Analyst, Congressional Budget Office

On Tuesday, February 12, 2013, Hudson Institute released a report examining congressional bills to broaden federal oversight of the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing (HF).

HF revolutionized U.S. energy development. Natural gas production boomed. America's manufacturers and consumers, in turn, benefited from lower prices. Past predictions of the U.S. becoming a major natural gas importer gave way to debates on how much, if any, should be exported.

The boom also sparked a debate on the proper role of the federal government in regulating a drilling technology that had been largely subject to state-level oversight. At the time, Congress was thought to consider bills, collectively referred to as the FRAC Act, and other measures that would greatly expand the EPA's authority over HF-related oil and gas drilling.

The report's author, Hudson Institute Visiting Fellow Lee Lane, led a panel discussion on its findings and the key related questions facing policymakers, such as:

* What are the benefits of continued robust shale gas development?
* Are the assumptions underlying the federal preemption effort sound?
* If enacted, would current proposals in Congress promote more efficient and safer energy development?
* Are there other ways in which the federal government might help state regulators to do a better job?

Related Events
23
October 2025
In-Person Event | Invite Only
The US in the South Caucasus: Mapping New Strategic Opportunities 
Featured Speakers:
Ilan Berman
Luke Coffey
Steve Daines
Michael Doran
Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim
Efgan Nifti
Joel Scanlon
: President Donald Trump, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sign a joint declaration at the White House in Washington DC, on August 8, 2025. (Getty Images)
23
October 2025
In-Person Event | Invite Only
The US in the South Caucasus: Mapping New Strategic Opportunities 

A keynote address by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), to examine the implications of the recent Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement. 

: President Donald Trump, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sign a joint declaration at the White House in Washington DC, on August 8, 2025. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Ilan Berman
Luke Coffey
Steve Daines
Michael Doran
Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim
Efgan Nifti
Joel Scanlon
24
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Prioritizing the Release of Chinese Christian Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri
Featured Speakers:
Grace Jin Drexel
Bill Drexel
Olivia Enos
Getty Images
24
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Prioritizing the Release of Chinese Christian Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri

Join Hudson for a conversation with Pastor Jin’s daughter and son-in-law about Pastor Jin, why he and the other detained Zion Church members matter for US foreign policy, and what the US government can do to secure the church members’ release.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Grace Jin Drexel
Bill Drexel
Olivia Enos
30
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How Long Can Russia’s Weakening Economy Support Putin’s War on Ukraine?
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Volodymyr Lugovskyy
Dr. Anders Aslund
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Getty Images
30
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How Long Can Russia’s Weakening Economy Support Putin’s War on Ukraine?

Join noted Russian and Ukrainian economists and Hudson Senior Fellow Thomas Duesterberg for an event that will analyze how growing economic problems are affecting Vladimir Putin’s war effort and its ability to avoid an economic crisis.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Volodymyr Lugovskyy
Dr. Anders Aslund
Thomas J. Duesterberg
03
November 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Congressman Rich McCormick on Securing American AI Leadership
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Rich McCormick
Jason Hsu
Representative Rich McCormick speaks during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on January 11, 2024. (Getty Images)
03
November 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Congressman Rich McCormick on Securing American AI Leadership

Senior Fellow Jason Hsu will host Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee and a former member of the bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, for a conversation on securing American AI leadership.

Representative Rich McCormick speaks during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on January 11, 2024. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Rich McCormick
Jason Hsu