Today, MSC president Dave Spigelmyer joined WPGP radio’s Rose Tennent for an in-depth discussion on the significant economic and national security benefits associated with responsible shale development as well as the negative consequences of even higher energy taxes.
Highlights from the segment:
On Consumer, End Use Benefits
- “A great story as we enter this winter season is natural gas prices are less than half of what they were just six years ago, that is a direct consumer benefit of shale development.”
- “Natural gas production across the Commonwealth positively impacts the whole supply chain network. Those are my neighbors and your neighbors, and they are the small business jobs that make our communities thrive which are absolutely critical.”
- “According to an IHS study, the average energy savings is upwards of $1200 for end users in our region as a result of more affordable natural gas.”
On Strengthened National Security
- “In 2008 we were more than 60% dependent on foreign oil, today we are less than 40%, that’s a major success story.
- “Thanks to abundant supplies of domestic energy we don’t have to send men overseas to protect foreign energy because we can safely produce it right here at home.”
On Pa.’s Natural Gas Impact Tax
- “Back in 2012 we passed an impact tax that has generated more than $856 million, more than $150 million of which has been spread across the eight-county region of southwestern Pa. making positive and meaningful changes to the way we fund local government projects.”
- “Pa.’s shale impact tax has been an absolute winner for the region, making a real contribution to the Commonwealth.”
- “Job growth associated with shale development has been so important for western Pa. at a time our economy is struggling; an additional tax that will jeopardize these jobs is not the answer.”
- “Real opportunities are before us and we don’t want to squander them by imposing additional taxes, as I’ve said before, there are exponential economic opportunities that lay ahead of us if Pa. gets this equation right.”
On Our Region’s Manufacturing Rebirth
- “Let’s face it, we’ve been writing the obituary for Pa.’s manufacturing industry for the last three or four decades, but now with affordable abundant natural gas, we have the ability to write the birth announcement for manufacturing our region.”
- “Nearly every consumer product we touch today is manufactured through the use of natural gas, it’s a real winner for consumers.”
- “Today we’ve got a new and abundant source of energy that can keep our kids at home and generate jobs for generations, we can use that affordable product to grow manufacturing, our economy, and our region exponentially.”
