Shale gas may be the energy of the future

Advocates of traditional energy sources (such as oil, natural gas, and coal) and backers of renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind, and geothermal) are frequently at odds. But there is one energy source they may have a meeting of the minds on: shale gas.

Although technically still a traditional energy source, shale gas has three qualities supporting its development: it's cleaner than coal, the supply is plentiful, and it is a domestic energy source.

And in an energy challenged, climate conscious world, shale gas, along with conventional natural gas, looms as a potential, major energy source for the U.S, particularly for electric power plants that want to meet tougher emissions standards, and for homes and businesses currently heating by oil that want to lower their heating bills.