America's Energy Edge: The Geopolitical Consequences of the Shale Revolution

Only five years ago, the world's supply of oil appeared to be peaking, and as conventional gas production declined in the US, it seemed that the country would become dependent on costly natural gas imports. But in the years since, those predictions have proved spectacularly wrong. Global energy production has begun to shift away from traditional suppliers in Eurasia and the Middle East, as producers tap unconventional gas and oil resources around the world, from the waters of Australia, Brazil, Africa, and the Mediterranean to the oil sands of Alberta. The American energy revolution does not just have commercial implications; it also has wide-reaching geopolitical consequences. Global energy trade maps are already being redrawn as US imports continue to decline and exporters find new markets. A diminished reliance on energy imports should not be confused with full energy independence. But the US energy windfall should help put to rest declinist thinking about the US.