Secretary Ryan Zinke at Consumer Energy Alliance Summit: Energy Production Key to American Energy Dominance and Security
Domestic energy production and development in the Marcellus and Utica
formations continues to be a driving force of American energy dominance,
benefitting the wallets of all Americans, businesses and the
environment, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said today at an
energy and manufacturing summit in Pittsburgh, hosted by Consumer
Energy Alliance (CEA).
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180928005572/en/
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke at Consumer Energy Alliance’s Energy and Manufacturing Summit at the Energy Innovation Center, in Pittsburgh. (Photo: Business Wire)
At the Energy Innovation Center, Zinke, with other policymakers and
business and labor leaders, discussed how the Marcellus and Utica shale
formations have driven growth in natural gas production; lowered
manufacturing, industrial and commercial costs; dramatically increased
job growth, tax revenue and economic opportunities; and, with pipeline
expansion, helped better protect the environment — not just in
Pennsylvania and the Northeast, but nationwide.
The event brought together the following speakers to share their
perspectives on energy policy in the context of jobs, the economy, the
environment and U.S. competitiveness:
-
Alan Armstrong, President and CEO, Williams
-
Dave Spigelmyer, President, Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC)
-
Darrin Kelly, President, Allegheny-Fayette County Central Labor Council
-
Bruce McKay, Senior Policy Advisor, Federal Affairs, Dominion
-
Kevin Sunday, Director of Government Affairs, Pennsylvania Chamber of
Business and Industry
-
James Kunz, Business Manager, IUOE Local 66
-
Ryan Sandmann, Legislative Representative, Laborers' International
Union of North America (LiUNA)
-
Rich DiClaudio, President of the Energy Innovation Center Institute
-
Mike Butler, Executive Director, CEA-Mid Atlantic
With election season underway, and recent polling showing that an
overwhelming majority of the nation supports a safe, bipartisan policy
that promotes American energy security, lowers costs and multiplies
economic prospects, speakers at the summit stressed the need to move
forward with an all-of-the-above strategy that urges the growth of all
resources and the expansion of all energy infrastructure — starting in
the Marcellus and Utica shale plays.
"President Trump has been clear: America has to be energy dominant,"
Secretary Zinke said. "We have re-lit the pilot light of American energy
under this President. We are incorporating industry innovation, best
science and best practices to improve reliability, safety and
environmental stewardship. Our energy strategy is 'all-of-the-above,'
leveraging every source of energy to take our nation forward. I am
bullish about America's energy future."
Butler said voters must remember the importance of reasonable energy
solutions when they head to the polls, adding how a recent
CEA analysis found Pennsylvanians saved more than $30.5 billion from
2006 to 2016 in natural gas costs, thanks largely to increased
production and new technologies.
"Developing the Marcellus and Utica shale plays and improving their
energy infrastructure are must-haves for ensuring our energy security
and diversity and increasing access to more affordable, reliable
energy,” he said. "Both will help lower energy costs for cash-strapped
families and businesses and create more economic opportunities by
providing greater incentive for manufacturers and businesses to set up
shop and create jobs.”
Case in point: Williams now has more than $14 billion of assets serving
the Marcellus and Utica resource base after investing heavily in the
area over the past 10 years, Armstrong said.
“We continue to expand our premier gathering and processing network, and
recently completed the $2.7 billion Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline, a vital
takeaway pipeline that will connect Northeast Pennsylvania’s robust
natural gas supply with important markets,” Armstrong added. “From a
petrochemical and manufacturing standpoint, we believe there’s
tremendous growth opportunity in this region, and Williams remains
committed to supporting that growth by safely and reliably connecting
our customers with theirs.”
Sunday said that because of the state’s sustained leadership in energy,
Pennsylvania has a “generational opportunity” to “fortify” its position
in the 21st century “by leveraging our energy assets to
innovate in transportation, manufacturing, technology and education.”
“Federal tax and regulatory reform have reinvigorated the national
economy and following up those historic reforms with pro-growth policy
at the state level will cement our state’s competitive advantage for
years to come," Sunday said.
McKay illustrated this by explaining how Dominion’s local work is having
a positive domino effect regionally on households and businesses.
"The billions of dollars in midstream investments being made by Dominion
Energy to help get natural gas to hungry markets at home and abroad
ripple through the region's economy providing jobs, local tax revenues
and opportunities for many small and midsized businesses,” McKay said.
"A prime example is the $400 million worth of pipe made by Pennsylvania
workers at Durabond Industries for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline."
Another example, Spigelmyer said, the industrial and environmental gains
local production has provided.
“We have generational economic and environmental opportunities ahead of
us thanks to our abundant supplies of clean-burning American natural
gas,” Spigelmyer said. “Manufacturers now have a competitive advantage,
hard-working Pennsylvania families are enjoying significant energy
savings, and our environment, especially air quality, continues to
sharply improve. With competitive policies that place a priority on
local job creation and making Pennsylvania a global energy and
manufacturing leader, there’s no doubt that the opportunities ahead are
indeed generational.”
Kunz, meanwhile, recalled still-too-fresh memories of how the region
looked before the Marcellus boom unfolded, and how it’s transformed
since.
“After the shuttering of the steel industry and the subsequent decline
of the manufacturing sector, we saw firsthand how families struggled to
make ends meet, confronted with decisions like whether to pay their rent
or mortgage or their utility bill. Thousands left the state,” Kunz said.
“But the development of our state’s own resources in recent years has
fueled a resurgence, putting thousands back to work and reducing energy
costs. To keep this going, policymakers must embrace every opportunity
we have to show our support for energy.”
Kelly agreed, saying that local workers who saw decades of industrial
decline are thankful for the dramatic swing local energy production has
provided.
"The working men and women who depend on regionally-made, lower-cost
energy to affordably and efficiently produce the materials and steel
that keep them employed are thankful for what the Marcellus Shale has
provided them – a chance to stand together and work toward achieving the
American dream,” Kelly said.
About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) brings together families, farmers, small
businesses, distributors, producers and manufacturers to support
America's energy future. With more than 450,000 members nationwide, our
mission is to help ensure stable prices and energy security for
households across the country. We believe energy development is
something that touches everyone in our nation, and thus it is necessary
for all of us to actively engage in the conversation about how we
develop our diverse energy resources and energy's importance to the
economy. Learn more at ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180928005572/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2018