Raleigh, N.C. – A comprehensive energy bill introduced in the North Carolina Senate Monday paves the way for a flourishing onshore and offshore energy sector that would attract thousands of new jobs and generate billions of dollars in state revenues.

Senate Bill 76, the Domestic Energy Jobs Act, authorizes the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mining and Energy Commission to begin issuing permits for shale gas exploration and development on March 1, 2015 – five months after regulatory and safety standards are mandated to be in place.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Buck Newton (R-Wilson), Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg) and Andrew Brock (R-Davie), provides an incentive for energy companies to hire workers and begin production by implementing a one percent state ...