Natural gas infrastructure can have a huge impact on regional economies. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf recently underscored this fact in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette op-ed titled “Pennsylvania is open for business.” In the piece, Gov. Wolf lauds Shell Chemical Appalachia’s plans to build an ethane cracker plant in southwestern Pennsylvania. The plant will be the first major U.S. petrochemical project of its type outside the Gulf Coast region. As he writes:
“Pennsylvania is so well-positioned to host a plant of this magnitude as a result of our trifecta: our proximity to major markets — more than 70 percent of North American polyethylene customers are within a 700-mile radius of Pittsburgh — our abundant raw materials and our highly skilled workforce, unmatched in the country. These elements are a huge differentiator that separates Pennsylvania from other states, especially those in the South.
All of this will translate into countless job creators establishing new facilities or relocating to the southwestern Pennsylvania region, meaning more high-wage manufacturing jobs for Pennsylvanians. More businesses and more jobs will lead to the long-term stability that Pennsylvania residents and communities need and deserve.”
Projects like the Rover Pipeline also stand to bolster natural gas production, businesses, and manufacturing in the Marcellus region. Construction of Rover will create as many as 10,000 jobs in the Midwest, and access to natural gas will power manufacturers throughout Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
Read the full op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette here.