According to economist Kevin Gillen, “Not only is the argument in favor of expanding infrastructure to transport energy in Pennsylvania a compelling one, none of the counter-arguments against it are even very good.”
Gillen elaborates that “as long as we are growing in population and we are increasing our consumption of energy, someone has to produce it. As long as someone is producing it, we have to find a way to transport it.”
Correspondingly, a recent piece in The Sentinel detailed how expanded infrastructure development in Pennsylvania was in the best interest for Pennsylvanians across the board on safety and economic indicators. The piece underscored that the Mariner East 2 pipeline “will safely transport energy resources from western Pennsylvania’s shale formations to southeastern Pennsylvania, where it will be processed and delivered to market.”
Gillen explains that it comes down to the simple fact that “In every way, shape and form, transportation of natural gas by pipeline is more cost-effective, supports more jobs, and is more environmentally sustainable, than any other mode of transportation.”