BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

If hundreds of billions of barrels of new oil reserves were suddenly discovered in the Continental United States, the story would surely be front page news. Even with America’s energy concerns taking a back seat to the health care debate for the moment, a discovery of such far-reaching economic, environmental, and foreign policy implications simply could not be ignored.

Now, replace the word “oil” with “natural gas.” Would the same dynamic hold true for a fossil fuel that most experts believe burns cleaner and cheaper than the coal and oil that are more commonly used to meet America’s energy needs?

One would think so – but when reports recently surfaced about technological advancements that would make it possible to harvest as much as 2,000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from shale rock formations in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Arkansas, Texas, and Wyoming, the media scarcely raised an eyebrow.

With such a dramatic increase in America’s estimated natural gas reserves, high-profile supporters such as Senator Orin Hatch and T. Boone Pickens already making the case for expanded use of natural gas, and the development of new natural gas-based fuels for cars and jets making news, now is the time for the industry to begin making its case in earnest to policy makers and the public. At the same time, however, the industry needs to be careful not to get bogged down in old arguments about alternative energy sources.

Allowing itself to be dragged into unfair fights with environmentalists and advocates for various other alternative energy sources will only make the natural gas industry look defensive. It would be far better served by making a clear and simple case that focuses on the three big challenges at the center of national energy policy: pollution, cost, and supply.

Natural gas has a powerful case to make on all three fronts – especially the third. If it sticks to positive and proactive messages, the industry has a chance of being seen as a plausible solution to the problem of energy supply, rather than just another self-serving voice in a tired and often circular debate.

David Bartlett is a Senior Vice President at Levick Strategic Communications, the nation’s top crisis communications firm He is an experienced communications strategist and crisis manager, and a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog.