This month’s Inside Washington County Magazine features Consumer Energy Alliance’s Executive Director and PEIA member, Mike Butler, highlighting efforts to rally the public behind investments in energy infrastructure. The group recently launched a campaign called “Pipelines for America” that hosts events to educate the public on the importance of expanding domestic energy infrastructure.
Within the article, Inside Washington County Magazine references the U.S. Energy Information Administration, stating “there is insufficient takeaway capacity in the Marcellus and Appalachian regions to meet basic consumer, electric, home-heating and manufacturing demand – even as production in the Marcellus and Utica formations has grown to 12 billion cubic feet per day since 2011, accounting for 89 percent of the nation’s total growth in natural gas production.” In short, there are plenty of energy resources available, but a major lack of infrastructure to transport them to market.
Mike Butler states in the article, “These statistics show that expanding America’s much-needed pipeline development is the best way to ensure that consumers’ energy prices remain steady, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region.” Additionally, “’Mariner East 2 will tie the state’s two economic engines together in a unique way.”
The event was hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, a founding member of the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance. President of the Washington County Chamber, Jeff Kotula said, “The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has seen powerful economic growth with the development of natural gas resources that have attracted new investment, new industries and untold benefits.” Kotula went on to say, “when properly designed, built and maintained, new infrastructure projects will bring benefits to consumers, communities, workers, and businesses across the state.”