What They’re Saying: “Cheap Natural Gas Equals Jobs”

·         “The ongoing jobs revival” in America is being “stoked by cheap [natural gas]”

·         PA small business owner: “I’m not sure we’d be here if it wasn’t for [the natural gas industry]”

·         Marcellus Shale “boom is good news for manufacturers that need cheap, plentiful supplies of natural gas”

Canonsburg, PA – As consumers throughout the region pay lower energy bills this winter, media outlets across the country have taken note of the remarkable impact responsible natural gas development has had on job creation and economic growth.  From increased manufacturing jobs to better opportunities for small businesses, natural gas production is bringing life back to countless communities and putting more money back in the pockets of families.  Below is a sampling of recent news accounts on the positive impact of American natural gas for families, manufacturers, and small businesses alike, and how this responsible development is “Building a Stronger, More Secure America.”

·         NY Union Official: “Natural Gas Can be Safe to Develop in New York”: A look at other areas of the country will show how natural gas has been developed safely and responsibly, providing a boost to local economies and protecting surrounding air, water and land. … An examination of the facts show that natural gas is and can continue to be developed safely and responsibly in New York. (Syracuse Post-Standard, 2/13/12)

·         “Cheap Natural Gas Equals Jobs”: Low gas prices, the Wall Street Journal reports, are “breathing new life into energy intensive industries such as steel and plastics,” as well as boosted the prospects of petrochemical makers and paper mills. And the Journal’s list doesn’t come close to exhausting the list of beneficiaries, which range from aluminum smelters to farmers who use nitrogen fertilizers (for which natural gas is a feedstock). Cheap energy isn’t just a boon today, either. It’s always been so. … Maybe it’s time for all of these disciples of higher energy bills to step back, survey the ongoing jobs revival stoked by cheap gas, and consider a different direction. (Denver Post, Op-Ed, 2/12/12)

·         Hundreds of Blue-Collar Union Jobs Tied to American Natural Gas in West Virginia: Dominion is positioning itself to be able to take advantage of the developing Marcellus and Utica Shale deposits. Chuck Penn Sr., manager of media/community relations for Dominion Transmission and Dominion Hope, gave an overview of the company and its position in the state to the Parkersburg Rotary Club Monday. … ”We are poised by virtue of where our infrastructure is located and the infrastructure of the process facilities we are building to capitalize on the Marcellus and the Utica deposits since our infrastructure sits right in the middle of both of them,” Penn said. ”It is going to open up a lot of work for us.” … Dominion has more than 1,300 employees in West Virginia with 80 percent of those employees union workers. Annual payroll is more than $142 million in West Virginia. (News and Sentinel, 2/14/12)

·         Small Businesses “Booming” in Bradford Co., PA: Here at the Weigh Station Cafe on John B Merrill Parkway in Towanda, business has been booming. Owner Barb Keeney says it’s all thanks to the natural gas industry. “I’m not sure we’d be here if it wasn’t for [the natural gas industry].” (WETM-TV, 2/13/12)

·         Southeastern Pennsylvanians Continue to Benefit Enormously Thanks to Safe Natural Gas Development: For customers who lock in for the fixed-rate deals, the discounts should become even bigger after March 1, when Peco’s price is projected to increase slightly. Competitive suppliers say the reason for the price decline is simple: Natural gas prices have plummeted this winter to their lowest levels in a decade because of abundant supply and warm weather. Gas is used to generate electricity, and low fuel costs translate into cheap electricity. “It’s all that good shale gas you guys are sending us from Pennsylvania,” said Mike Perna, vice president of marketing and business at ConEdison Solutions, referring to the Marcellus Shale boom that has driven down gas prices. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/12/12)

·         “Natural Gas Boom Energizing The Chemical Industry”: U.S. chemical companies are the latest beneficiaries of the nation’s natural gas drilling boom. Long focused on cheap gas sources elsewhere in the world, companies are now looking to expand here. A surplus of natural gas has pushed down prices, making it more attractive for chemical companies that use lots of gas to reopen shuttered plants and build new ones. … The boom is good news for manufacturers that need cheap, plentiful supplies of natural gas. The natural gas drilling boom near Charleston has local business boosters lobbying for a huge new chemical plant, called an ethane cracker, which could bring jobs to the state. “It will take approximately 2,000 construction workers two years just to build the facility,” says Matthew Ballard, president and chief executive officer of the Charleston Area Alliance. “Once up and running, there will be several hundred jobs at that cracking facility.” (NPR, 2/13/12)

·         NY’ers See More Home-Heating Savings Tied to Responsible Marcellus Natural Gas Production: According to National Fuel, the winter heating bill for the average residential customer is expected to be five percent less compared to last winter. Households that have balanced billing should also see a drop. “All of our customers should be seeing a decrease in price across the board,” say National Fuel spokeswoman Karen Merkel. … Merkel also says the large amount of domestic natural gas from the Marcellus Shale play contributes to the falling price. (WGRZ-TV, 2/11/12)

·         MD Legislator “Convinced We Need to Move Forward” With Safe Natural Gas Development: Del. Ron George, chairman of the Anne Arundel County delegation, said he opposed opening the western counties to drilling last year, but he has changed his mind. “The process to get the natural gas has improved,” George said. “I now am convinced after my studying further that we should proceed. I am convinced we need to move forward and make the most out of this resource.” (Annapolis Capital, 2/10/14)

·         WV Econ. Development Official Underscores Critical Importance of Natural Gas for Manufacturing Jobs: Once made, ethylene is converted to a host of chemicals that end up in everyday products such as furniture, cleaners, antifreeze, brake fluids, paints, flooring, garbage bags, plastic bottles and more. … West Virginia sits squarely over some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world – the Marcellus shale – and sizeable parts of those formations contain large amounts of ethane. So we have an opportunity to use ethane from Marcellus shale to revitalize the state’s chemical industry. … It’s a big deal for economic development in West Virginia. And it shows the vital linkage between the natural gas and chemical industries. (Daily Mail, Op-Ed, 2/10/12)

·         CT Econ. Development Official: “Shale Gas Can Fuel U.S. Recovery”: The President’s State of the Union address recognized one of the most significant energy advances of this century: the commercial production of natural gas from domestic shale formations. … Shale gas provided less than two percent of the total U.S. natural gas production in 2001; it now is approaching 30 percent, with some estimates that potential resources could last 95 years based on existing consumption rates. The long-term abundance of this natural gas has promise to lower fuel costs for heating, electric generation, industrial processes, and transportation. Indeed, we are already seeing a reduction in electric energy rates as a result of lower cost generation fueled with natural gas. (Hartford Business Journal, Op-Ed, 2/13/12)

Related articles

• Natural Gas Boom Energizing The Chemical Industry (npr.org)
• Proving Up Marcellus Shale is a Good News Story (insightadvisor.wordpress.com)
• Natural Gas Industry Responds to New Pa. Law: ‘I Think It’s Going to Hurt a Little Bit’ (ibtimes.com)
• Consol Energy plans coal, natural gas investments in West Virginia (energyindependenceforstates.com)
• Pa. House approves fee on Marcellus Shale gas (philly.com)
• Top 5 Largest Natural Gas Shale Deposits Yet to Be Found in the U.S. (ibtimes.com)
• Provinces must seek new markets for natural gas (theglobeandmail.com)
• Pennsylvania General Assembly Votes to Impose Fees on Natural Gas Companies (ibtimes.com)