Published: October 12, 2020 |

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Natural gas shaped Pittsburgh’s past. It also holds the key to its future.

Western Pennsylvania is blessed with abundant natural gas reserves, and it is imperative that we continue to support this industry to secure the immense economic benefits it brings to its communities. While some policymakers call for a ban on hydraulic fracturing and leaving the state’s abundant resources untapped, this administration is committed to using all available means to responsibly develop our energy resources while ensuring environmental protection.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has warned that a ban on fracking in 2021 would eliminate 19 million jobs and reduce U.S. GDP by $7.1 trillion by 2025. That staggering figure would include more than 600,000 jobs lost in Pennsylvania.

The Trump administration believes that the Keystone State has only scratched the surface of its energy and economic potential.

In addition to continued growth in natural gas production and oil refining, Pennsylvania has tremendous opportunities in the petrochemical industry and downstream manufacturing sector. Already, a world-class petrochemical manufacturing facility is under construction just outside Pittsburgh, and there are plans to bring a second plant to Belmont County, Ohio.

These facilities have already created thousands of jobs in the Pittsburgh region and have the potential to create thousands more once they come on-line. And, according to the American Chemistry Council, regional opportunity in the petrochemical sector could result in an economic expansion of $28 billion and result in the creation of more than 100,000 jobs.

When used in connection with petrochemicals, “downstream” manufacturing refers to the industries that make the items derived from petrochemical products, like car parts and medical devices. As businesses seek to meet the demand for these high-value articles, Western Pennsylvania, with its petrochemical processing capabilities and low-cost energy, will be an ideal location for future facilities to design and manufacture them.

These new manufacturing operations will diversify Appalachia’s economy, creating jobs and prosperity for a region hit hard by the policies enacted by the previous administration.

By: Dan Brouillette, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Washington, D.C.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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