Thanks to shale, energy-producing states have been the strongest economic performers in the United States over the past decade, sharply improving their position compared with the energy-consuming states. Only 13 of the 50 states produced more energy than they consumed in 2010, the latest year for which comprehensive data is available, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The other 37 were all net energy consumers, relying on some combination of interstate commerce or imports to meet the shortfall. The shale revolution and the renaissance in U.S. oil and gas production have resulted in a stark contrast between the fortunes of the two groups. Eight of the 13 energy-producing states improved their relative position between 2003 and 2013 when ranked by per capita gross domestic product. They accounted for almost […]