U.S. Rep. Tom Reed says he wants to invite President Barack Obama to a meeting of the House of Representatives Marcellus Shale Caucus following the president’s State of the Union Address comments about natural gas resources.
Reed said he likes the idea of meeting with the president to hear more about the executive branch’s stand on tapping into the natural gas resources, in particular using natural gas as a fuel for transportation.
At a town hall meeting in Penn Yan Saturday, Reed said the purpose of the Marcellus Shale Caucus, on which he serves as vice chair, is to get the best scientific data about natural gas exploration.
Saying he favors an “all of the above” energy policy encompassing traditional as well as renewable resources, Reed told about 60 people at the meeting that an energy platform can be a good long term goal for both Democrats and Republicans to work together to achieve.
As some of the audience reacted strongly and loudly, with one woman walking out of the meeting saying, “He’s not listening to his constituents,” he acknowledged there will be disagreement over decisions made about the use of high volume hydrofracking in the Finger Lakes and in New York state.