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 […]
Union Workers Prefer Natural Gas, Oil Sector Employment, Surveys Find
July 23, 2020 | Filed Under: Blog
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 […]
Record Impact Tax Revenues Directly Benefit Communities
June 28, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Pennsylvania’s natural gas impact tax generated a record $251.8 million in 2018, bringing the seven-year total to $1.7 billion in new revenue for communities and statewide environmental and conservation programs. “Local governments rely on impact tax revenues to fund a host of priorities, including enhancing road and bridge infrastructure, flood mitigation and prevention, emergency response […]
Post-Gazette’s Claims on Childhood Cancer Unsupported by Medical Experts, Science
May 14, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
As an industry focused on enhancing public health and safety, we’re deeply disappointed in the Post-Gazette’s continued efforts to sensationalize tragedy through unsubstantiated claims regarding regional childhood cancer cases. “Our hearts break for anyone battling cancer,” MSC’s David Spigelmyer told the paper. “Given our industry’s deep commitment to protecting the health, safety and environment […]
This Earth Day, Celebrate Natural Gas
April 22, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Earth Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the meaningful environmental progress made possible through the production and use of clean, abundant American natural gas. As Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler told the SHALE INSIGHT audience in October, thanks to natural gas, “we are the global leader in clear air progress.” For the tens […]
MSC Member Profile: Shale Development Propels Central Pennsylvania Engineering Firm into National Player
April 15, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
“I’ve got to be part of that,” top Dawood leader says of America’s shale revolution. As part of MSC’s Member Profile series, we recently sat down with Jim Rodgers and Nick Brien of Dawood, a central Pennsylvania-based engineering firm that’s seized the opportunity of the shale revolution to grow into a national firm. This interview […]
President Trump’s Executive Orders Advance American Energy Dominance
April 11, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Pennsylvania’s energy job-creators joined manufacturers and top building trades union leaders, among others, to applaud President Trump’s signing yesterday of two executive orders that will help expand and modernize America’s energy infrastructure. The Executive Orders are expected to streamline federal permitting and ease unnecessary regulatory roadblocks for new pipeline construction and LNG export terminals. Joining […]
Pa. Leads Nation in Clean, Affordable Natural Gas Power Generation Growth
March 11, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Pennsylvania accounted for one-quarter of the growth in highly efficient, clean natural gas power generation last year, according to new federal data released this morning. In fact, more than 60 percent of the electric generating capacity installed in the U.S. in 2018 was fueled by clean, domestic natural gas. Specifically, facilities like Tenaska’s Westmoreland Generating […]
Radio Recap: Natural Gas a “Winner for the Region”
February 8, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Natural gas is driving manufacturing job growth, consumer savings, and clean air progress, all “winners for the region,” MSC’s Dave Spigelmyer said during radio interviews across the Commonwealth this week. Here’s a few key highlights from radio row: On a Generational Manufacturing Opportunity “We’ve got a petrochemical facility being built in the west that […]
Report: Marcellus, Utica Shale Plays Drive Domestic Natural Gas Production Growth
January 24, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Domestic natural gas production and use – especially in power generation and manufacturing – will expand significantly over the next three decades, the federal Energy Information Administration reported today. The agency projects in its 2019 Annual Energy Outlook that natural gas will experience the largest production increase of all fossil fuels, with the Marcellus and […]
Pa. Produced Energy Drives High-Tech Manufacturing Job Growth
January 15, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Energy development is giving rise to Pennsylvania’s next manufacturing chapter, fueling a wave of high-tech jobs and economic growth in communities across the Commonwealth. As the nation’s second largest natural gas producing state, Pennsylvania manufacturers can leverage low-cost, abundant natural gas feedstocks into a competitive advantage. In Beaver County, for example, along the banks of […]
2019 Outlook: Steady Energy Growth to Drive Pa. Economic Expansion, Environmental Progress
January 3, 2019 | Filed Under: Blog
Pennsylvania is blessed with an enormous energy advantage that gives our region the ability to compete and win economically, grow good-paying local jobs and improve our environment, MSC’s Dave Spigelmyer said during a series of year-end press interviews. “We’ve gone from a period of cautious optimism to now living an energy renaissance,” Spigelmyer told the […]
Pa. Energy Producers Hold ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ Outlook
August 21, 2018 | Filed Under: Blog
With rig counts steadily rising, key infrastructure projects coming online, and production increasing, Pennsylvania’s energy producers have a cautiously optimistic outlook, MSC president David Spigelmyer told reporters recently. During a swing through local papers across the north central and eastern parts of the state, Spigelmyer provided a state of the industry update for the second-half […]
Training Programs Prepare Pennsylvanians for High-Demand Energy Careers
July 23, 2018 | Filed Under: Blog
New workforce training programs have launched throughout the region to meet growing local demand for skilled workers across the energy supply chain. In Armstrong and Greene Counties, for example, free month-long training courses focused on pipeline construction and maintenance begin in August. These programs, as the Observer-Reporter reports, are hosted through a partnership with the […]
Acting EPA Administrator Visits Western Pa., Credits Shale Industry’s “Innovation”
July 18, 2018 | Filed Under: Blog
Commonsense policies and smart regulations that encourage natural gas development will help ensure further environmental and public health improvement, acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler discussed during a visit to Washington County this week. Just a week after assuming his new position, acting administrator Wheeler met with MSC member Range Resources and sat down with the […]
Natural Gas Drives Pa. Manufacturing Resurgence
July 12, 2018 | Filed Under: Blog
Western Pennsylvania manufacturing is on the comeback thanks, in large part, to the region’s abundance of natural gas. From the Shell ethane cracker facility under construction in Beaver County to the growth of Lawrence County’s steel industry and a resurgent plastics industry in Erie County, affordable, abundant natural gas is driving the region’s manufacturing comeback. […]
