At a recent conference in Philadelphia, organizations, politicians, and thought leaders discussed how Pennsylvania’s energy resources can help save the state’s manufacturing industry. However, in order to accomplish this goal, investments into Pennsylvania’s energy infrastructure are desperately needed.
While addressing the need for pipelines, Philadelphia Energy Solution’s CEO, Phil Rinaldi, spoke on the need for pipeline infrastructure to supply energy products to industrial complexes such as Delaware County’s Marcus Hook. He also stressed the need to utilize Pennsylvania’s very own Marcellus Shale – “There are reserves you don’t measure in years, you don’t measure in decades, you measure in centuries,” Rinaldi said (Andrew Maykuth, Philadelphia Inquirer, November 6, 2015). However, without the infrastructure to support such capitalization, Pennsylvania will miss out on the opportunities to build up its energy and manufacturing industries.
Rinaldi also mentioned the launch of his new outreach plan to highlight the integral role pipeline infrastructure plays to the state of Pennsylvania. His main goal is to “try to at least give them a common reading and a common understanding of what we are [going to] do” (Susan Phillips, State Impact, November 6, 2015).
As the discussion on pipeline infrastructure continues, the countless benefits these resources provide our communities and state should be the focus. Development of these energy resources will not only provide needed economic investment, but they will also provide added support to the manufacturing base and other industries here in Pennsylvania.