In a recent speech, President Obama said: “The bottom line is natural gas is creating jobs.  It’s lowering many families’ heat and power bills.” He’s absolutely right. In fact, according a TD Bank study, “American residential consumers can expect to save around $75 billion in utility costs in 2013 — equivalent to about $650 per household.”

These are enormous savings for every American consumer. And the good news for Pennsylvanians, natural gas availability is expanding. Earlier this month, the state Senate voted overwhelmingly to assist in provding “local natural gas service to un-served and under-served areas of Pennsylvania.” And from New York City to Virginia to Maine – consumers and businesses are benefiting from the safe development of clean-burning natural gas.

Here are several very recent Pennsylvania-specific examples, too:

  • “Local Gas For Local People”: Work is getting started to run natural gas lines to homes, businesses, and schools in Susquehanna County. For years now, natural gas drilling has been going on all around the county but that gas was shipped elsewhere. After a groundbreaking today, people who live in the county will soon be able to use the natural gas themselves. Leatherstocking Natural Gas Company held a ceremonial groundbreaking near Montrose to mark the first time widespread natural gas service is coming to homes and businesses in Susquehanna County. (WNEP-TV, 6/18/13)
  • “Natural Gas Project to Expand in NEPA, Benefit Businesses, Residents”: The project — building a natural gas distribution system — is one local leaders say will be a boon for the northeast Pennsylvania economy. … “Cabot is the supplier. They’re producing the gas. They put it into the Williams gathering network and we attach to those assets and bring gas to the local people,” German said. … Officials from the Endless Mountain Health System — which is building a new facility — said the move will allow them to save money as they open. “Local resource, providing local jobs, contributing to the local economy and we get to burn a greener fuel source and we’ll realize a substantial savings,” said Endless Mountain Health System CEO Rex Catlin. … “It’s a great opportunity for us. It allows us to save probably 40 percent of our fuel bill and for us that’s $60,000. That puts another teacher in a classroom,” said Montrose Area High School Superintendent Mike Ognosky. (WBNG-TV, 6/18/13)