Economic impact of the Marcellus shale development ‘widespread’: “Like the railroad, many businesses, schools, banks and law firms in the shale fairway are adapting or growing to capitalize on the economic potential of one of the hottest mineral extraction efforts in the country. Wayne Michel, president of the railroad, said the company expects to have “substantial growth over the next few years” due to the Marcellus Shale activity. … “The railroad has either hired or is about to hire 10 new employees, some of which are related to the new opportunity provided by the Marcellus Shale,” Mr. Michel said. Timothy Kelsey, Ph.D., the state program leader in economic and community development for the Penn State Cooperative Extension, called the economic impact of the shale development “widespread, fairly deep and growing.” … The investment made by just one shale driller makes the potential economic impact clear: Chesapeake Energy…now employs 1,032 people in Pennsylvania – up from 219 people about a year ago. … “Local business that on the surface you would think would not have a whole lot to do with gas development are finding real positive implications of that,” he said. … “Our students are not going to have any problems finding jobs.” (Scranton Times-Tribune, 4/25/10)
Marcellus Shale jobs no myth: “In 2009, we predicted that nearly 49,000 jobs would be created as a result of 621 Marcellus wells drilled. Data available to us today indicate that 741 wells were developed, however — creating the possibility that even more employment opportunities were made possible than previously forecast. An updated version of our study will be available this spring. The second thing on which we must agree is that not all jobs related to Marcellus exploration are strictly limited to “mining.” Certainly the drillers themselves would fall into this category, but the setup and initiation of a natural gas well is as much a construction enterprise as a drilling one. Other sectors directly impacted (for the better) by this work include transportation, manufacturing, finance, retail, real estate and engineering.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Profs. Watson & Considine, 4/24/10)
200 turn out for Marcellus Shale forum: “Klaber is the executive director of the Marcellus Shale coalition, a consortium of approximately 90 companies working on extracting natural gas from the field. She said Pennsylvania will gain 107,000 jobs this year alone from Marcellus Shale drilling. Just as important, she estimated that by 2014 the shale will yield enough natural gas to meet all of Pennsylvania’s needs and then some, making this state a natural gas exporter. “This is the first time in my career that I’ve had the opportunity to see growth,” Klaber said.” (Beaver County Times, 4/21/10)
Marcellus gas is efficient, it’s clean and it’s abundant: “Both Robinson-McMillen and Sobel agree the gas drilling industry can be a huge benefit for the county. … “These wells will be in operation for 30 years or more,” Sobel said. “Most of the companies are looking to send crews in to get things started, then train the local work force and have them keep things going on the site.” The industry will also generate countless “spin-off” jobs, such as welder, paralegals and abstractors to work with the paperwork and permitting, workers to produce and ship the pipe, to process and treat the frac water as well as storage for the gas as it’s collected. The workers will also be coming into the community to spend money in businesses, restaurants, shops and recreational activities. … “This will be good for the area,” Robinson-McMillen said. “Gas energy is efficient, it’s clean and it’s abundant in America.” “The more energy self-sufficient we are, the less we will have to be involved in foreign entanglements,” Sobel said. “If the shale drilling becomes big in the county like they’re projecting, it will have long-lasting effects on the economy.” (Leader Vindicator, 4/24/10)
MSC president Kathryn Klaber: “The good news is that more jobs, revenues and clean-burning, homegrown energy are on the way. In a study published last summer, Penn State determined that nearly 50,000 jobs and $3.8 billion in economic output were created as a result of Marcellus shale gas production in 2009. Over the next decade, Penn State believes that jobs number will approach 200,000 per year. … Your readers should know that we are committed to ensuring environmental protections and safeguards remain in place, all while leveraging the commonwealth’s homegrown gas reserves into jobs, revenue and economic opportunity for those who live here.” (Daily Item, 4/22/10)
Match made in economic heaven: “It would seem to be a match made in economic heaven. The natural gas industry is descending on the Marcellus Shale bounty available in our region. Harvesting the energy requires a broad range of technical training and education. In this region sits Pennsylvania College of Technology, a world-class technical education school. … That’s great news given shaky current job market. That’s at least one field with big-time employment opportunity involving solid-paying jobs. … At a time when quality job opportunities are not plentiful and top-shelf new employment is rare, these are chances that should not be passed up by anybody with an interest, a talent or the ability to learn skills that relate to the gas drilling industry.” (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Editorial, 4/25/10)
Marcellus shale creating “a boom in blue-collar jobs”: “Spread over five states including much of Pennsylvania, the Marcellus shale contains enough natural gas to supply all of the nation’s needs for more than a decade, a Penn State study found last year. “This region will become self-sufficient in terms of energy,” said Kent Moors, director of Duquesne University’s Energy Policy Research Group. “There’s enough natural gas in the Marcellus to power this state for 180 years.” And the cheap energy might attract an influx of new companies to the state to take advantage of the low-cost energy, which in turn could become a boom in blue-collar jobs, experts say. A Penn State University study last year projected that Marcellus-related activity by 2020 could translate into $13.5 billion of economic impact and nearly 175,000 related jobs.” (Valley News Dispatch, 4/25/10)
