What has been one of the most challenging years is drawing to a close, and while 2020 brought unique, unforeseen challenges, MSC’s members never missed a beat in helping our communities; producing, delivering, and generating essential, affordable energy; and advocating for an industry that delivers broadly shared benefits. There are many accomplishments to be […]
Natural Gas “Indispensable” to Renewable Power Generation, Progressive Policy Institute Advises
December 17, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Natural gas power generation is “indispensable” to the growth of renewable electricity generation, the Progressive Policy Institute advises in a new report. Providing an “instantly dispatchable” source of electricity, natural gas accelerates renewable energy growth and, moving forward, can be the key to decarbonizing the grid without disrupting reliability or hiking electricity costs for consumers, […]
Report: Natural Gas Infrastructure Constraints Threaten California, New England Electricity Reliability
December 2, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
A lack of natural gas infrastructure in certain regions of the country could lead to electric reliability issues in the coming winter months, a new report by the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) concludes. Despite America becoming the world’s top producer of natural gas and oil – which has provided consumers with a steady […]
Natural Gas, Renewables Partners for Clean Energy Growth
October 15, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
The shared benefits of natural gas extend well beyond a round-the-clock, affordable power supply. Although typically gone unnoticed, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) shape nearly everything we touch, see and rely on. Last week, the Department of Energy released an updated report underscoring those similar themes: that natural gas and natural gas liquids […]
U.S. DoE Report: Natural Gas, Oil Essential to “Our Quality of Life”
October 7, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Natural gas and oil provide energy security and is essential to America’s economic growth, addressing climate change, and creating the products our modern lives depend on, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) concluded in a major report released this week. At the heart of the report, “U.S. Oil and Natural Gas: Providing Energy Security […]
Shale Insight 2020: Nat Gas Drives Economic Growth; Creates Life’s Most Essential Products; Key to Sustained Environmental Progress
October 2, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
There’s a “new season of economic development” for natural gas on the horizon, Steve Winberg, Assistant U.S. Secretary for Fossil Energy, said during the 10th annual SHALE INSIGHTTM conference this week. “We must keep making innovation the cornerstone of our strategy and we must firmly oppose those who would replace our policies with programs that […]
U.S. Energy Secretary Tours Ethane Cracker Facility, “The Future of the American Economy”
September 22, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette called the Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex under construction in Beaver County the “future of the American economy” following a meeting and location tour yesterday. The nation’s top energy policy leader discussed how the manufacturing facility – which employs more than 7,000 in the union construction trades – is critical […]
Pa. Natural Gas Production Sets Record in 2019, Appalachia “Well Poised” for Growth
September 17, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Pennsylvania natural gas production in 2019 eclipsed previous records, state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) data revealed earlier this week, as operators continued to safely and more efficiently develop the clean, abundant resource. According to the 2019 Oil and Gas Annual Report, production reached 6.8 trillion cubic feet (tcf) throughout the year – marking the […]
Celebrating the Natural Gas, Labor Partnership on Labor Day
September 4, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As we head into the holiday weekend, Labor Day is an opportunity to take stock in the deep partnership forged between Pennsylvania’s natural gas sector and skilled building trades. MSC’s David Spigelmyer and Jim Snell, Business Manager of Steamfitters Local 420 in Philadelphia highlighted this strong connection in a joint PennLive column this week. “Specifically, […]
California, New York Show Consequences of Green New Deal-Styled Policies
September 3, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Rolling blackouts in California and natural gas shortages in New York show the consequences of the Green New Deal-styled policies some politicians and states are trying to advance. Both California and New York have adopted aggressive mandates that virtually eliminate the clean, affordable, baseload power natural gas provides, favoring highly intermittent, costly renewable sources instead. […]
Natural Gas Tax Revenue Critical to COVID-19, Community Relief
August 25, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
COVID-induced economic headwinds have hit communities, townships, and municipalities hard. With businesses indefinitely closed or forced to operate at limited capacity, fundamental tax revenue for county and municipal budgets is falling – leaving community programs, emergency management efforts, redevelopment projects, and infrastructure improvements short of vital funding. For Pennsylvania communities, revenues from the state’s impact […]
Pa.’s Natural Gas Tax Funds Affordable Housing Initiatives
August 20, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Pennsylvania’s tax on natural gas – the impact fee – generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually for conservation programs, environmental initiatives, first responders, infrastructure, and, as reported this week, affordable housing initiatives across the state. Through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) program and the state Housing Finance Agency’s Low […]
Pa. Labor, Business, Bipartisan Elected Leaders: “Keep Fracking Going”
August 19, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As delegates gather over the next two weeks to confirm presidential nominees and set their respective party platforms, the role of natural gas in driving economic and environmental gains, particularly in key battleground states, cannot be overlooked. Among greater political polarization and division, the responsible development of clean American natural gas is an area of […]
Natural Gas Production, Consumption Rise; Methane Emissions, Air Pollutants Decline
August 12, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Ahead of expected EPA regulatory action this week, critical air pollutants and methane emissions tied to natural gas production continue to decline, state and federal data shows, as more clean, domestic natural gas is produced and consumed. Since 1990, methane emissions from natural gas and oil systems declined 23.2%, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) […]
Union Workers Prefer Natural Gas, Oil Sector Employment, Surveys Find
July 23, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As proponents of unrealistic, extreme environmental policies tout a smooth transition for workers entering the “green” energy job market, a new analysis suggests otherwise, finding energy construction projects in the natural gas and oil sector are the favored choice among employees. Natural gas and oil industry sector-projects are higher paying, provide better health and retirement […]
Environmental Group Report: Natural Gas Drives Power Sector Emission Reductions
July 15, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As natural gas gains a larger role in our nation’s energy mix, emissions of some of the most prominent greenhouse gasses have plummeted, a new Ceres analysis revealed. In its latest air emissions benchmarking report, the report co-authored by the Natural Resources Defense Council – an organization that supports a fracking ban – found that […]
What They’re Saying: AG Shapiro’s Report Inaccurate, Ignores Existing Law
July 9, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s politically-motivated report on shale gas development ignores existing law, the Commonwealth’s strong regulatory framework, and contains numerous misstatements and inaccuracies, various news outlets have reported. Make no mistake, Pennsylvania has nation-leading environmental regulations and “there’s no industry that’s under the kind of perpetual scrutiny that shale gas development is under,” […]
“Enormous” Manufacturing Growth Potential with Natural Gas, Dept. of Energy Report Finds
July 1, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Appalachia, with its abundant natural gas resources, has the potential to be a petrochemical and manufacturing powerhouse unmatched by any other region in the country, an important Department of Energy report concludes. The new report credits the region’s energy abundance as key to giving domestic manufacturers the competitive edge needed to invest, expand and create […]
Domestic Natural Gas to Drive Continued Economic Growth, Environmental Progress
June 29, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As our country recovers from the global pandemic, affordable energy will be central to returning economic prosperity, driving manufacturing growth, and getting people working again, MSC’s Dave Spigelmyer recently said in an interview with Shale Magazine. Spigelmyer was featured in two recent podcast series that focused on the state of the natural gas industry in […]
Pa. Environmental Regulators: Attorney General Report “Factually Inaccurate,” “Disservice to Commonwealth”
June 26, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Report relies on anecdotes, decade-old claims to mischaracterize Pa.’s existing world-class regulatory framework An Attorney General report released yesterday ignores Pennsylvania’s modern, world-class regulatory framework, relies on decade-old unnamed anecdotal sources, and advances a false, deeply misguided understanding of safe, responsible shale development. The report, which comes as the result of a two-year grand jury […]
Personal Income Growth Highest in Shale Producing Counties, IFO Report
June 11, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Growth in personal income was mostly higher in shale producing counties from 2016-2018 compared to non-producing areas of the state, according to a new Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) report. According to the independent, non-partisan agency’s analysis, average income per capita growth was 4.4% statewide compared to 4.6-7.5% for the state’s top five shale producing counties. […]
PA Leads, NY, NJ Restrict Access to Affordable Natural Gas
May 19, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy blocked pipeline access that would deliver affordable energy for families, hospitals, and small businesses, Pennsylvania moved forward with distribution projects to expand community access to affordable energy. “Governor Cuomo’s detrimental pattern of siding with extreme activists by prohibiting the use of clean American […]
CMU: Power Sector CO2 Emissions Down, Natural Gas Power Generation Up
May 8, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
America’s increasing use of clean, natural gas for power generation continues to deliver significant benefits for the environment, Carnegie Mellon University’s latest Power Sector Carbon Index report reveals. CMU’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation reports a 36% decrease in total power sector emissions intensity over the last five years. Compared to 2018, emission intensity was […]
Support for Energy, Manufacturing Strong in Pa.
April 28, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Voters, business leaders, elected officials, and building trades unions agree, abundant natural gas drives manufacturing growth. Pennsylvania produced natural gas is the key component to manufacturing high-demand consumer goods, from life-saving medical equipment to plastics for smartphones and computers, and fertilizers for growing crops. Low-cost natural gas provides the region with a competitive advantage for […]
Earth Day at 50: Natural Gas the Solution for Environmental Progress
April 22, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As we celebrate Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, we reflect on the environmental gains achieved and the role clean natural gas plays in enabling this progress. “The nation’s second-largest natural gas producing state, with output reaching 6.2 trillion cubic feet in 2018,” MSC’s Spigelmyer and Laborers’ Council of Eastern Pennsylvania’s Tony Seiwell write in the Morning Call, […]
Pa. Natural Gas Powers Paper Products Manufacturer
April 17, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Located in Wyoming County, Procter & Gamble’s largest U.S. manufacturing facility – home to toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and diaper production – is powered by natural gas produced beneath its surface. The Pennsylvania facility is the only location of P&G’s 150 manufacturing plants that’s 100% energy self-sufficient thanks to the natural gas produced from […]
Bipartisan Majorities, Building Trades Unions Support Pa. Manufacturing Jobs
April 10, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Climate activist groups circulated newspaper opinion page letters this week against House Bill 1100 – legislation which would support critical manufacturing investment and good-paying, union jobs in Pennsylvania. At a time when Pennsylvania unemployment is skyrocketing and our communities and families face enormous challenges tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s irresponsible to prevent the creation […]
MSC Donates Meals to Thank Doctors, Nurses, Hospital Staff
April 10, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
MSC partnered with several member companies this week to donate more than 2,000 lunches to doctors, nurses, and hospital staff in southwestern and northeastern Pa. The meal donation for Washington Health System and UPMC Williamsport were provided with support from Alta Resources, Cabot Oil & Gas, Chevron, Greylock Energy, Olympus Energy, Penn E&R, Range Resources […]
Amid COVID Pandemic, Energy Companies Step Up to Support Hospitals, Communities
April 3, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
As Pennsylvanians navigate the difficult and unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19, local energy companies have mobilized to help communities and brave front line medical professionals respond to the global pandemic. Many MSC members have stepped up to help provide first responders and hospitals with masks and other personal protective equipment. Others, too, have donated to […]
MSC Member Spotlight: The Markosky Engineering Group
March 30, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Last week, we spoke with The Markosky Engineering Group’s Environmental Services Division Manager David Cutlip and Environmental Sciences Department Manager Jason Harkcom to learn more about their firm and discuss their capabilities in assisting oil and natural gas companies in the Appalachian Basin. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q. To start, could you introduce The Markosky […]
Looking Back: 8 Years of Natural Gas Impact Fee Success
March 24, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
It’s been eight years since Pennsylvania enacted a unique tax on natural gas extraction – and local governments, communities and environmental conservation programs continue to be the clear winners. Former Gov. Tom Corbett signed Act 13 into law in 2012, imposing an additional tax on unconventional natural gas production with counties and municipalities directly benefitting […]
Natural Gas Makes Life-Saving Supplies & Medicines Possible
March 19, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Hand-sanitizer, life-saving pharmaceuticals, anti-bacterial wipes, medical gloves, and disinfecting products and soap – just a few of the millions of everyday products essential to modern life created with American natural gas and oil. At the same time, affordable domestic natural gas reliably heats our homes, keeps the lights on and is a key component in […]
Post-Gazette Relies on Biased Research, Activists for Latest Energy Story
March 11, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
For readers looking for reputable, unbiased journalism, the Post-Gazette’s coverage of tightly regulated energy development continues to disappoint. As we saw in last year’s Human Toll series, the authors again took a predetermined narrative in their latest piece focused on a Washington County compressor station location. Energy companies – and the tens-of-thousands of Pennsylvanians they […]
Carbon Emissions Continue Fall as Natural Gas Generates Larger U.S. Power Share
January 16, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
Natural gas will continue as the top fuel source for U.S. electricity generation and carbon emissions will fall to the lowest point since 1988, according to federal data released this week. In its Short Term Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration projects domestic natural gas production and consumption increases over the next year, largely driven […]
CNBC Digital Piece Ignores Key Facts, Advances Discredited Narrative
January 7, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
In a new online video, CNBC asks an important question: “Should the U.S. Ban Fracking?” Regular viewers would expect the business-focused outlet to include fresh data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (ban on hydraulic fracturing would result in 19 million lost jobs by 2025 and reduce U.S. GDP by $7.1 trillion) or November remarks […]
Giving Back to Pennsylvania Communities
December 17, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
The MSC is proud to give back to the communities where we live and work. In the spirit of the holiday season – and with the cold winter months upon us – we held our first annual ‘Coalition of Caring’ coat and boot drive, donating winter clothing to non-profit organizations across Pennsylvania serving those in […]
Ten Years of MSC: A Decade of Collaboration and Success
November 21, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
In just ten years, America’s energy outlook has positively transformed. Thanks to shale, the U.S. is the world’s top natural gas and oil producer and, for the first time since the Eisenhower administration, America is a net energy exporter. During that time, America has transitioned to a global energy powerhouse, domestic manufacturing is on the […]
Families, Manufacturers Save Billions Annually Thanks to Domestic Natural Gas Development
November 1, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
American consumers are saving billions of dollars annually thanks to domestic natural gas production, two recently released studies confirmed. The separate reports from the White House Council of Economic Advisors and ShaleCrescent USA attribute savings to the significant growth in domestic natural gas production – the majority of which has taken place in the Appalachia […]
SHALE INSIGHT™ Focuses on Region’s Energy Opportunity
October 28, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
President Trump: “You’ve helped make America the number one producer of oil and gas. Number one by far.” With clean, American natural gas, our economy is stronger, our nation more secure, manufacturing is on the march, and the U.S. is a global clean air leader, President Trump said during headline remarks during the ninth annual […]
Five Can’t-Miss Events at SHALE INSIGHT™ 2019
October 18, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Celebrating its 9th year, SHALE INSIGHT™ returns to Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center next week. One of the leading conferences on American energy development, the event will feature the engaging panels, innovative technologies and top-notch networking opportunities that participants have come to value, as well as a few exciting original aspects—including keynote remarks from […]
No Known Environmental Causes of Rare Childhood Cancer Form, State Health Experts, Doctors Say
October 9, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Ewing’s sarcoma expert with UPMC to lead new genetics research into the rare disease form An analysis of cancer data in Washington County and the Canon-McMillan School District does not show incidence rates of Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare childhood cancer, consistently and statistically higher than the rest of the state, top Pennsylvania health officials and […]
Exponential Growth of Natural Gas Contained in Appalachian Basin, USGS Report
October 4, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Report confirms long-term opportunity to develop clean, affordable natural gas. Estimates of natural gas held in the Appalachian Basin have sharply increased from 2 Tcf in 2002 to 214 Tcf today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s updated analysis. This significant increase from previous projections in 2011 and 2012, which estimated 84 trillion cubic feet […]
Hydraulic Fracturing Ban Jeopardizes Environmental Progress, Devastating to Pa. Economy
September 24, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
For more than a decade, natural gas development has generated unprecedented opportunities to provide sustainable and broad-based economic and environmental benefits to our region and the nation. A few politicians, however, have proposed to ban the safe technological process of hydraulic fracturing. As the candidates continue to push this misguided, dangerous policy, voters, elected officials, […]
U.S. Natural Gas Supply Hits Record High – Report
September 12, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Led by growth in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, the United States has a record future supply of natural gas, according to the latest biennial report from the well-respected Potential Gas Committee. This assessment of the nation’s technically recoverable natural gas assets is the highest in the committee’s 54-year history and represents a 20% […]
President Trump’s Beaver Co. Visit Highlights Energy-Enabled Rust Belt Revival
August 13, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
President Trump’s visit to the ethane cracker plant under construction in Beaver County today highlights the energy-enabled Rust Belt Revival taking hold across Appalachia. Thanks to abundant, low-cost natural gas, regional manufacturers have a cost-competitive advantage to invest and create good-paying local jobs. Set to be completed in the coming years, the Shell Petrochemicals Complex […]
ICYMI: Unrealistic Energy Policies Sting American Consumers
July 31, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Governor Cuomo’s energy blockade is a punch in the gut for northeast consumers, as policies blocking new pipeline development increase costs and jeopardize energy reliability. It’s ironic that the United States is world’s natural gas production leader, but New York City residents, who live just across the border from the second-largest natural gas producing state, […]
Natural Gas Industry to Gov. Wolf: Commitment to Health, Safety “Exceptionally Personal” for Local Workforce
July 26, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
For the tens-of-thousands of local Pennsylvanians who produce clean, abundant energy, there’s no higher responsibility than the protection and improvement of our environment, leaders of the Commonwealth’s three oil and natural gas trade associations wrote in a letter to Governor Wolf this week. The letter details the “exceptionally personal” commitment to responsibly producing the energy […]
Post-Gazette Continues to Peddle Junk Science
July 26, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Cites convicted federal felon who illegally pushed drugs into community as “trusted, expert” voice Unoriginal. Loose (at best) with the facts. Totally predictable. The Post-Gazette’s latest broadside attacking Pennsylvania’s natural gas workers and their commitment to protecting public health and our environment was effectively a CliffsNotes of anti-energy activism “research” that’s been previously blogged about […]
FACT CHECK: Post-Gazette’s Narrative on Natural Gas Conflicts with Facts
July 24, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Latest “Human Toll” series stories centered on activist research; ignore objective science Since the Post-Gazette’s “Human Toll” series recently launched (two more stories attacking the natural gas industry are set to run soon, we understand), we have fact-checked the paper’s reporting, which centers mainly on shoddy and flawed research funded by anti-natural gas activists and […]
