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Governor's Conference on Energy

While energy providers are excited about the prospect of developing wind energy off Virginia's coast, many still believe that the state has a full complement of resources which are being underutilized or not used at all. 

The President of the Virginia Oil and Gas Association, Greg Kozera, says the latest innovations in natural gas excavation are far more efficient and safe than they've ever been.  But he believes that there is a negative connotation associated with it.  At the Energy Conference in Richmond, participants discussed how to do a better job of educating people about the process, and about how greater use of natural gas could provide more energy at a lower cost.

Kozera speaks positively about fracturing or "fracking"—the process used to extract oil and natural gas from a broader land mass.  But he believes one of the reasons some groups are opposed to drilling off Virginia's coast is because they believe "fracking" will pose environmental risks. He dismisses many of those concerns, but says he believes natural gas is so abundant off the coast that fracking may not be necessary.

Tommie McNeil is a State Capitol reporter who has been covering Virginia and Virginia politics for more than a decade. He originally hails from Maryland, and also doubles as the evening anchor for 1140 WRVA in Richmond.
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