Here's the drill on fracking.

• Position: Statewide: TRIANGLE REGION

On June 4, Gov. Pat McCrory signed the Energy Modernization Act, which allows the state to begin issuing permits for hydraulic fracturing 60 days after the N.C. Mining and Energy Commission develops rules for it. The commission, asked to develop programs for oil and gas exploration in 2012, is expected to submit rules to the legislature in January, meaning permits could be issued as soon as next spring. Hydraulic fracturing --fracking--involves horizontal drilling into shale to extract natural gas trapped in the rock. North Carolina's shale-gas potential remains uncertain, but the Deep River Basin, a 150-mile stretch of central North Carolina where shale formations are 2,100 to 6,000 feet underground, is the most promising site. In the heart of the basin, Lee County has drawn the most attention from potential drillers. A 2013...