Natural gas will continue driving economic growth and environmental progress in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond, public officials, business and regional development groups highlighted at the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s “Natural Gas: Powering Northeast PA” briefing in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
“Pennsylvania is a national energy powerhouse thanks, in part, to many of the people in this room and the abundance of clean natural gas beneath our feet,” President Dave Callahan said, kicking off the event.
As breakthroughs in technology enabled more natural resources to be harvested from tight rock formations in the northeast and southwest corners of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth rapidly moved from producing about 25% of the state’s natural gas demand – to now supplying roughly 20% of America’s in a matter of a decade.
Today, northeastern Pennsylvania is home to five of the top ten natural gas producing counties including the largest, Susquehanna County, that accounts for more than 20% of the state’s production.
This ongoing development has improved quality of life, strengthened local economies, and made significant strides in clean air, land and water, and carbon reductions. Not to mention the reliability and energy savings Pennsylvania consumers have realized because of natural gas.
“The Marcellus Shale took us to a place where we needed to be in Pennsylvania, and that was low energy prices. We’re so happy we’ve moved from a state that was importing electricity to a state that’s now exporting about 30% to other states,” said Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille.
“Natural gas must remain in the process in terms of ensuring reliability for the electric grid,” she said.
Equally impressive, it’s led to a massive growth in household income and generated opportunities for residents to access quality jobs in and associated with the energy industry without having to move to places like Texas, Oklahoma, or North Dakota.
“This industry has had an impact beyond what any of us understood was possible,” Dr. Jill Murray, President of Lackawanna College told the group.
“For us at the College, [the industry’s] support has been tremendous both in terms of generosity to support programming, equipment, staffing, but also to support scholarships to help our students find pathways they otherwise wouldn’t have.”
Lackawanna College’s School of Petroleum and Natural Gas has programs geared directly towards engine or compressor mechanics as well as technicians and with the college’s many industry connections, internships and careers post-graduation are plentiful.
“Our partnership goes back many years, and SWN has benefitted from Lackawanna College’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Program by hiring summer interns as well as graduates of the program to be full-time employees of our production, measurement, and maintenance teams,” said Mike Narcavage, Southwestern Energy’s Senior Government and Community Affairs Manager.
That’s led to an uptick in members of regional building trades unions working on important energy and infrastructure projects that move essential natural gas resources across the U.S. for transportation fuels, manufacturing development, and to heat and power homes, hospitals and businesses.
“For our people to be able to take those paychecks home every week, put food on the table, and actually have a good life for their family – it’s unbelievable,” said Patrick Dolan, Business Manager, United Association Local 524.
Bringing U.S. energy security into the fold, public officials also underscored the importance Pennsylvania natural gas has in supplying the energy needs of Americans, but also for our strategic allies across the globe.
“Looking around the world makes it so clear why energy independence should be one of America’s top priorities,” Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity said. “There is no reason to put ourselves in harm’s way by relying on resources from dangerous countries who would rather hurt our people than help us, and Northeastern Pennsylvania has always played a vital role in powering our country.”
As local, state and federal leaders look to forge clean energy solutions without undermining energy security, affordability or reliability, those solutions are easily found in Pennsylvania natural gas – beginning right in Northeastern PA.
