Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have created new domestic energy frontiers and made the United States a net energy exporter for the first time in more than 60 years. Although the process has been used for decades to stimulate production from declining wells, new technological advancements have rapidly accelerated the development of unconventional reserves of fossil fuels that were either unknown or considered uneconomic just a few years ago. Despite the excitement over the potential economic benefits are underlying public safety and environmental concerns.

As the use of hydraulic fracturing—or fracking—has grown, and as the practice has become more controversial, states have taken action in three primary ways.

While President Barack Obama’s third State of the Union address Tuesday focused primarily on familiar themes of economic recovery, the president tipped his hat to some new policies that could have a major impact on states, specifically education reform, infrastructure and hydraulic fracturing.

With recent advances in a process known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” the U.S. may soon be able to boost its energy security while bolstering our economy and creating jobs. Large shale deposits throughout the U.S. are suddenly seeing a flurry of activity that’s being hailed by some for its economic development and criticized by others for environmental concerns. More than 20 percent of U.S. states have proven reserves of oil and gas locked in shale and the economic benefits nationally as well as within each of these states may be tremendous and far-reaching. In this session, experts on all sides of the hydraulic fracturing debate discussed what its production may mean for your state.

With recent advances in a process known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” the U.S. may soon be able to boost its energy security while bolstering our economy and creating jobs. Large shale deposits throughout the U.S. are suddenly seeing a flurry of activity that’s being hailed by some for its economic development and criticized by others for environmental concerns. More than 20 percent of U.S. states have proven reserves of oil and gas locked in shale and the economic benefits nationally as well as within each of these states may be tremendous and far-reaching. In this session, experts on all sides of the hydraulic fracturing debate discussed what its production may mean for your state.

With recent advances in a process known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” the U.S. may soon be able to boost its energy security while bolstering our economy and creating jobs. Large shale deposits throughout the U.S. are suddenly seeing a flurry of activity that’s being hailed by some for its economic development and criticized by others for environmental concerns. More than 20 percent of U.S. states have proven reserves of oil and gas locked in shale and the economic benefits nationally as well as within each of these states may be tremendous and far-reaching. In this session, experts on all sides of the hydraulic fracturing debate discussed what its production may mean for your state.

With recent advances in a process known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” the U.S. may soon be able to boost its energy security while bolstering our economy and creating jobs. Large shale deposits throughout the U.S. are suddenly seeing a flurry of activity that’s being hailed by some for its economic development and criticized by others for environmental concerns. More than 20 percent of U.S. states have proven reserves of oil and gas locked in shale and the economic benefits nationally as well as within each of these states may be tremendous and far-reaching. In this session, experts on all sides of the hydraulic fracturing debate discussed what its production may mean for your state.

The town of Stanley, N.D., was a dying community of about 1,500. But that was before the community opened up to hydrofracturing, or “fracking,” a process that pumps a solution of 99 percent water into rocks to release natural gas. “Now that fracking has moved in, the Farmer’s Union convenience store sold over $1 million in pizza in the past year,” said North Dakota Sen. Dick Dever.  Fracking has been a huge boon to the town’s entire economy.