The two cities that make up ground zero for oil and gas production in the United States, Midland and Odessa, have been competing for recognition and prestige for as long as a lot of folks in town can remember. 

These days that cross-town rivalry has bled over into a competition for emerging industry, a developing workforce, and a boat load of tax dollars. But as Marilu Hastings at the Mitchell Foundation notes, "We’re going to need a lot more energy than we’re currently producing. We're not in the position to pick winners and losers in the energy industry. We need it all."