New York's four-year review of whether to allow recovery of natural gas using a controversial fracking technique has focused on environmental risks, while a less visible but robust debate on the economic benefits is also taking place.
A study commissioned by New York's Department of Environmental Conservation, that found tens of thousands of jobs would be created, has come under fire and the consultant it hired is revisiting its calculations.
Fewer jobs and tax revenues than touted, as some critics maintain, could tip the cost-benefit analysis away from the drilling industry.
Energy companies are pushing Governor Andrew Cuomo, who took office in 2011, to legalize an advanced kind of fracking. The Democrat last year cited the industry's job-creating potential to revive the upstate economy, but since then his comments have been sparse and focused on conducting a factual analysis.
Cuomo has said a decision on high-volume fracking, ...