Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale rules should be fair

On January 26, 2012 — No comments

The Marcellus Shale has been, and continues to be, the source of enormous benefits for Pennsylvanians. In one year alone, the industry has provided $1.6 billion in royalties and bonus fee income to local landowners. Residents now enjoy lower energy bills, with one conservative estimate showing consumers saving a total of nearly $650 million in 2011.

Besides investing more than $400 million in roads and related infrastructure, the industry also has paid an estimated $1 billion in state and local taxes during the last five years. Even as the rest of the country’s economy struggles amid devastatingly high and lingering unemployment rates, the natural gas industry supports nearly 230,000 jobs throughout the commonwealth, according to state labor data. Key natural gas-producing counties, which have long struggled with tough economic times, are now realizing unemployment rates that are the envy of the nation.

But it’s important to realize that these contributions to Pennsylvania’s economy and workforce hinge on a rational regulatory environment. Indeed, the economic benefits provided by responsible natural gas development from shale were not preordained, and the ability to create jobs and invest in local communities will depend in no small part on the type of regulatory environment our elected leaders choose to create.

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