Nov 6, 2024 By Dave Callahan and Jeff Kotula 3 min read

As we mark the 20th anniversary of Marcellus Shale development in Appalachia, we can celebrate the positive benefits that natural gas provides to our communities, our economy and workforce, our environment and our nation’s security.

Thanks to the hard work and determination by Range Resources’ talented professionals in 2004, a multi-generational period of American energy scarcity transitioned into an era of abundance and strength.

Early in the Shale revolution, Time magazine featured the headline on its cover: “This Rock Could Power The World.” They were absolutely right.

Pennsylvania has emerged as the nation’s second largest natural gas producer, accounting for nearly 20% of current U.S. domestic production. In 2023, Washington County led other producing counties in the state in both the number of wells and the amount of production. Development taking place here in the county has solidly positioned Pennsylvania as an energy leader, supplying consumers across the street and across the globe.

Observer-Reporter readers are witnesses to the industry’s outsized positive impact. More likely than not, they have a friend or family member that has leased their minerals or works in the sector directly or in the industry’s diverse supply chain of local businesses. Washington County, in many ways, is our region’s “energy hub.”

The natural gas industry has been and continues to be a powerful source of economic growth and job creation. The Marcellus Shale Coalition’s recent economic impact report found that the industry undertook $41 billion in economic activity in one year alone. The industry supports more than 123,000 jobs, including many in the construction trades. These jobs are not only family sustaining, but they are also community sustaining.

These broad and shared successes cannot be overstated.

And given the industry’s commitment to “getting it right” – protecting our environment and ensuring safety, sourcing, hiring and training locally, supporting our local communities where we’re privileged to work – we understand the importance of true partnerships. Look no further than the state’s impact tax for an example.

Across the commonwealth, impact tax revenues – totaling more than $2.7 billion since 2012, with more than $225 million flowing into Washington County — have facilitated investments in essential infrastructure projects, such as road improvements, public services and environmental restoration, among other targeted community-level initiatives.

And we’re proud that at every step of the way, our air quality has continued to improve, slashing emissions from the power generation sector. Increased use of natural gas is powering our economy while improving and protecting our environment and public health.

Voters across Pennsylvania, especially in regions like Washington County, understand the importance of natural gas. In a recent poll, a staggering 75% of Pennsylvania voters said they support expanding energy development in the state, and 74% said they support building more natural gas infrastructure to transport natural gas to homes and businesses.

Over the last two decades, the natural gas industry has moved our economy, our workforce and our environment forward, thanks to our talented local workforce and support from local stakeholders, including elected officials.

With the right policies from Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., as well as our local communities, that recognize and prioritize our energy abundance as a strategic asset, we can build on this storied legacy.

In Washington County, the power to prosper continues to be right under our feet. As demand for cleaner and reliable energy continues to rise, natural gas will play a vital role in our energy future.

David Callahan is president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (marcelluscoalition.org). Jeff Kotula is president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce (washcochamber.com).