Oct 18, 2017 2 min read

We appreciate the Observer-Reporter’s recognition of locally produced natural gas as a clean-burning source of energy and an economic driver for our region. What’s missing from a recent editorial, however, is the acknowledgement that we no longer have to choose between economic growth and a thriving, healthy environment. Thanks to natural gas, we can – and do – have both.

Washington County, a state leader in natural gas production, continues to directly benefit from responsible shale development. As this paper recently reported, shale development directly and indirectly supports more than 300,000 good-paying Pennsylvania jobs – many in this region.

Thanks to abundant natural gas and natural gas liquids, more manufacturers are choosing our region to build, expand and create good-paying jobs. We’re in the early stages of a made-in-America manufacturing revival.

As we continue to benefit from the jobs, tax revenues, and consumer savings tied to energy development, our environment is making significant progress, as well. In fact, thanks to the greater use of natural gas, particularly in power generation, the United States leads the world in carbon emission reductions.

Clean natural gas represents a reliable – and affordable – partner to renewables as a source of baseload power to highly intermittent wind and solar. And the natural gas liquids produced here are essential to manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels.

The fact is, affordable, American-made natural gas is moving Pennsylvania’s economy and environment forward.

David Spigelmyer

Pittsburgh

Spigelmyer is the president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.