Recently, Joe Savarise, Executive Director of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association—a member of the Coalition for the Expansion of Pipeline Infrastructure (CEPI)—submitted a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the timely approval of the Rover Pipeline project. Savarise noted the important role Ohio’s hotel industry will play during the construction of the pipeline and the long-term benefits of low-cost natural gas.
Ohio’s travel economy stands to greatly benefit from the Rover construction project. Workers will need lodging, and our hotels are ready and able to provide needed housing all along the construction route in Ohio. More importantly, the Rover Pipeline holds the ability to deliver affordable energy to communities throughout Ohio and the United States. Access to affordable, reliable domestic natural gas would have a number of positive impacts throughout Ohio’s economy, including lowering overhead costs for local businesses, bolstering the capabilities of manufacturers, and decreasing residential housing costs.
Echoing this letter is an opinion piece Savarise published last fall in the Wooster Daily Record supporting the Rover Pipeline project and highlighting the economic benefits of reduced energy costs.
The Rover Pipeline could make a big difference in family budgets. Ohio has the 10th-highest residential natural gas prices in the nation, federal Energy Information Agency data show. To bring those prices down, we need to increase the supply of natural gas.
Businesses that gain access to lower-cost natural gas will have more to spend on other priorities. Whether hiring, expanding or just making ends meet, businesses that can save on energy expenses can reallocate those savings to other uses.
The $4.2 billion dollar Rover Pipeline project will attract millions of dollars in local investment in communities throughout Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia while also creating upwards of 10,000 high-quality construction jobs for laborers across our region. This critical infrastructure project is essential to our long-term energy future and continued economic prosperity.