PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Today, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced nearly $210 million in natural gas impact fee disbursements for drilling activity occurring in 2017.

“Pennsylvania’s impact fee – a special drilling tax that is paid on top of all other business taxes assessed in the Commonwealth – is working as designed by enabling local governments to direct how the revenues are utilized. The tax revenues collected from the natural gas industry support local bridge, road and other critical infrastructure improvements, as well as community parks, first-responders, soil and water conservation districts, environmental projects and housing initiatives,” said Marcellus Shale Coalition president David Spigelmyer.

Since 2012, Pennsylvania’s drilling tax has generated nearly $1.5 billion in new revenue for communities in all 67 counties across the Commonwealth. Combined, natural gas development has generated billions of dollars in new taxes, royalties and bonus fees for Pennsylvania citizens. The impact fee was authorized under Act 13 of 2012.

“While Pennsylvania’s drilling tax generates hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue each year, Governor Wolf continues to push for additional energy taxes that would cost local and trade union jobs, increase energy costs for consumers and hurt Pennsylvania’s economy,” added Spigelmyer. “Rather than promote uncompetitive policies, we need to capitalize on the generational opportunity to grow energy and manufacturing jobs across the Commonwealth.”

NOTE: Click HERE and HERE to learn more about Pennsylvania’s natural gas impact fee.

# # #