October 7th is Manufacturing Day, which is a day to highlight the outsized importance that manufacturing plays in Pennsylvania and our nation’s economy. From plastics to glass, carpet, clothes, pharmaceuticals, and many other products, energy resources are a necessary ingredient used to manufacture many items that every single person uses on a daily basis.
Energy development in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus and Utica Shale formations has sparked an energy revolution in Pennsylvania, benefitting a manufacturing renaissance. Executive Director of The Manufacturers’ Association and Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance (PEIA) member, Tom Palisin highlighted the need for energy infrastructure investments to support Pennsylvania’s manufacturing sector.
“Pipelines and the natural gas industry benefit manufacturing in a number of ways. The Mariner East line will give us a local source of natural gas to tap into. The construction of that line will give us good jobs and sales opportunities for manufacturers to support that line and also be able to support high-paying jobs for the manufacturing industry as well.”
Pennsylvania is now the second largest producer of clean-burning natural gas in the country, but in order to take full advantage of these important resources, we must invest in safer transportation of these products.
Palisin continued, “pipelines are a much safer way to distribute and connect natural gas and energy resources to communities as opposed to over the road and other transportation methods that are not safe. It’s efficient, safe, and a clean energy resource.”
Beyond just used as a fuel for our cars, energy products have an active role in our everyday lives and the safest, most efficient way to move these products to consumers for use will benefit us all.