Natural gas development is positively transforming Pennsylvania’s economy and environment, MSC’s Dave Spigelmyer said during Sunday’s PMA Perspective program on PCN-TV. As the nation’s second largest natural gas producing state, we’re realizing a resurgence in manufacturing, meaningful energy savings, and clean air progress.

In case you missed Sunday’s program on Pennsylvania’s energy leadership, here are key takeaways from the discussion:

On consumer savings:

“When people think of natural gas, they think of heating their home, cooking their food, drying their clothes, heating their hot water – but in reality, just about every consumer product that we touch today is manufactured with the use of natural gas … As a result, we’ve cleaned our air and we’ve become a far more energy-secure country because of what we’re doing here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

“Purchased natural gas prices … have dropped anywhere from 57 to 81 percent, depending on which utility, at every utility across the state. Consumers are the direct benefactor. On an average consumer, at least $1,200 of savings annually – it’s an enormous benefit. Now that we’re producing one in three electrons with natural gas in our generation sector, it’s been a 41-percent decline in wholesale electric prices, as well.”

 On manufacturing:

“As a state, for a lot of years we’ve talked about the manufacturing mecca primarily for steel. I think within the next five to 10 years, we have the ability potentially to be manufacturing products again in the industrial core of the Commonwealth – plastics manufacturing. I think the real focus is going to be on the downstream opportunities created because of the Beaver County ethane cracker.”

“We’re talking right now about trying to attract Amazon to Pennsylvania, and I certainly applaud the work that’s being done. But I will tell you, folks don’t realize that we’ve brought two or three ‘Amazons’ to Pennsylvania in our shale fields. The investments that have been made here have been extraordinary.”

On taxes & regulations:

We’ve got an impact tax in Pennsylvania that’s generated now almost $1.5 billion since 2012. We’ve talked about coupling a tax on top of a tax, and I’ve pushed back on that – and I know others have pushed back – for fear we drive some of that investment opportunity away from Pennsylvania.”

On infrastructure:

 “We have an LNG tanker from Russia sitting in Boston Harbor because … of activists’ agenda that block the supply of natural gas to flow from Pennsylvania – very, very affordably supplies of natural gas – to flow into New England. Consumers in New England are the losers because of those kinds of policies.”