April 14, 2017

Ohio Chemistry Technology Council Voices Support for Rover Pipeline

Jenn Klein, president of the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council (OCTC), recently penned an opinion editorial in The Daily Digger in which she underscores the impacts that the Rover Pipeline stands to generate for the chemical manufacturing industry in Ohio. A major pillar of the state’s economy, the members of the OCTC rely on access to natural gas in a number of ways. As Ms. Klein writes:

These companies provide other businesses with the essential ingredients they require to operate. Altogether, the chemical industry in the United States is an enormous economic powerhouse, comprising over 25% of America’s GDP. Chemical companies like those represented by the OCTC are together a $797 billion industry that supports over 810,000 manufacturing and high-tech jobs and nearly six million related positions.

More importantly, chemistry is an industry of progress and novelty, constantly looking for new ways to guarantee a safer and more sustainable future for millions of people around the globe. In 2015 alone, chemical companies invested over $93 billion in research and development to help foster these breakthroughs, making them even larger contributors to innovation than industries like automotive engineering or healthcare.

The Rover Pipeline will create benefits that extend not only to chemical manufacturers but to the state’s economy at large. Ms. Klein goes on to underscore some of these many catalysts:

Further, the Rover project itself carries incredible economic value for Ohio. Over $135 million in property taxes will be generated for the state of Ohio during its first year in operation. Likewise, between 4,000 and 6,000 of the total 10,000 construction jobs created by Rover will go to Ohio workers. These funds and construction positions stand to create major positive impacts for the lives of hardworking Ohio residents.

The OCTC and its members are thrilled about the FERC’s approval of the Rover Pipeline project. We look forward to timely completion of the project and the reliable natural gas energy it will bring thousands of businesses across the region, including the 73 businesses of the OCTC. Infrastructure improvement projects like Rover are low risk, high reward endeavors that stimulate the economy and keep hardworking Americans employed – helping to ensure financial security and prosperity for thousands of households.

CEPI applauds the OCTC for expanding upon the Rover Pipeline’s enormous economic potential and voicing its support for the project. From manufacturers to farmers, businesses, and homeowners, residents across Ohio are sure to witness an improved quality of life thanks to the safe, efficient access to natural gas that the Rover Pipeline will provide once constructed.