Thousands of New, Good-Paying Jobs

  • Marcellus shale creates jobs: “The mile-deep Marcellus shale formation covers all or part of seven states and is estimated to contain enough gas to handle the country’s needs for decades. “We felt we needed to hold a meeting like this for a long time,” said Katy Klaber, executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. “We hear the macroeconomic view about the thousands of jobs created by Marcellus shale drilling, but these examples show that someone locally has a job due to the Marcellus impact.” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 5/20/10)
  • MSC president highlights drilling’s economic benefits: “The president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition on Monday told regional community leaders that development of the Marcellus Shale not only will help the economy on a large scale, but it’s just as important to recognize the effects on the area business owners and the area job market. Kathryn Klaber … said macroeconomics are important, “and every shale play has them. But we also realize we have to make this more understandable, that these are real jobs with real companies in Pennsylvania,” she said.” (Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, 5/21/10)
  • 2,000 new jobs in Bradford Co., Leads State in Job Growth: “Bradford County, he said, leads the state of Pennsylvania in new job creation with 2,000 more people employed than one year ago. And he said, contrary to many peoples’ belief, many local individuals are now being hired with the support of Penn College’s Marcellus Shale Work Force Needs Assessment. Another speaker, Brian Grove, director of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy’s Eastern Division, made much of a recent headline that Bradford County leads the state in job growth. “Let me say that again – ‘Bradford County Leads State in Job Growth,'” he said. … Early last year, he said, Chesapeake employed about 215 people in Pennsylvania. Since then, he said, that number has increased to more than 1,100 employees and continues to grow “every facet of our operation experiences expansion.” (Daily Review, 5/21/10)
  • Shale: The next energy game changer; Prolific Pennsylvania: “The recent shale gas boom has been called a “game changer” in the North American energy picture. It promises to deliver abundant, cheap natural gas for decades to come. … Pennsylvania’s output is just part of the reserves locked up in the Marcellus deposit. It is a prolific monster, stretching from West Virginia to the doorstep of New York City, and has the potential to rearrange the continent’s energy flow. … “Hydraulic fracturing has been going on in this country for 60 years. It is not new and there have been no confirmed cases of groundwater impacts from hydraulic fracturing,” said Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.” (Globe and Mail, 5/14/10)
  • Each Marcellus gas well to use $4M of locally-produced materials: “The state’s growing natural gas industry offers expanding industrial and employment opportunities in the region, the head of an industry trade group said Thursday. “The size of this is something we are trying to get our heads around,” Kathryn Klaber, executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. … A study last year by Penn State University projected the industry would support more than 100,000 jobs this year in Pennsylvania and provide $871 million in state and local taxes. Ms. Klaber…said an average well costs $4 million to develop and requires 5,000 tons of locally produced crushed stone and 125 tons of local concrete.” (Scranton Times-Tribune, 5/21/10)
  • The potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs: “Gas drilling in this area has the potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs for the unemployed and many under-employed who now live in Wayne County. It will also have ripple effects throughout the entire economy and benefit every citizen, whether they are a landowner or not.  This will dramatically improve our lives. … It will allow farmers to not only pay their taxes and keep their land in agricultural use, but also provide the opportunity to generate new economic equity to invest in farming.” (Wayne Independent, 5/16/10)
  • The local economy is overall better: “Natural gas drilling is changing the landscape of the northern tier in many ways. … “I was in the Army National Guard and I came back from Iraq. Instead of going to sit behind a desk I decided to try something different and I had a friend who was on a rig … A couple weeks later I started out on a drilling rig,” Woodbeck said. … “The pay is good. It’s better than probably most jobs you’re going to find in the area,” Woodbeck added. … “I believe it’s a good thing. The economy is not doing well right now. It did bring a lot of jobs to the area. Restaurants are doing better. Just the local economy is overall better,” Woodbeck said. … “There’s more jobs. I see more and more local guys on the rigs,” said Woodbeck.” (WNEP-TV, 5/19/10)
  • “The same phenomenon is seen in Pennsylvania as energy firms begin exploration and production in the Marcellus Shale deposit. The economic benefits to both areas are only now beginning to be measured, as seen here and here.” (Washington Examiner, 5/13/10)

Huge Revenues For State, Local Governments; Lower Energy Costs For Struggling Communities

  • Economic impact of Marcellus Shale extensive: “Natural gas production will greatly increase state and local tax revenue. According to a recent Penn State study, gas production will produce approximately $600 million in new state tax revenue in 2010 and $270 million in local tax revenue. These numbers include state income tax, sales tax, wage tax, and all other state and local taxes. These numbers will only increase. Some economists predict that total annual tax revenue from gas production in Pennsylvania will reach $12 billion by 2020.” (Washington (PA) Observer-Reporter, Op-Ed, 5/16/10)
  • A big economic impact on municipalities’ budgets: “The President of the Joint Landowner Coalition of NY is optimistic that future natural gas drilling will have a big economic impact on municipalities’ budgets. In 2009 Norse Energy paid about $650,000 in well production taxes for drilling in the Herkimer Sandstone. Some of that money went to Chenango County and the Town of Smyrna. Dan Fitzsimmons says once the DEC draws up drilling guidelines in the Marcellus shale, more than $6 million could come to county and municipal governments and school districts. “This is big money. It’s going to be really big money and the big thing that people need to understand is that it doesn’t just help the landowners. It’s going to help all people in the community.” (WBGH-TV, 5/17/10)
  • Gas rates falling for UGI customers, thanks to shale: “After maintaining the state’s highest natural gas rates for the better part of a year, UGI Penn Natural Gas announced two rate cuts for 2010, delivering a double-digit decrease in consumers’ bill next heating season. Customers using 8.9 thousand cubic feet, or Mcf, of gas per month will see their bills fall from $121.70 per month to an estimated $101.82 per month as of December.” (Scranton Times-Tribune, 5/18/10)