Tom Shepstone
Shepstone Management Company, Inc.

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Cabot Oil & Gas, in cooperation with Penn’s Northeast and the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce hosted a Think About Energy Briefing on economic reopening. The following is reposted from the Think About Energy site.

The webinar featured U.S. Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09), Penn’s Northeast President and CEO John Augustine and Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Mobilization at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Keith Smith.

The webinar provided attendees with important and timely information on the manufacturing opportunities for Pennsylvania as the United States proceeds with economic reopening. Panelists discussed how to best position the region to capitalize on the nation’s desire to onshore manufacturing and reduce our dependency on foreign nations for the import of many key components used in manufacturing.

Bill desRosiers, External Affairs Manager, Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, moderated today’s discussion. “Today’s guests highlighted how, with smart policy and a measured approach, we can grow our manufacturing base in the United States. We have a legacy of trained workers, access to markets and an affordable, abundant supply of natural gas to fuel this growth,” desRosiers said.

U.S. Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09), a member of the House Committee on Labor and Education, focused on the impact the natural gas industry has had on the Commonwealth’s economy and the potential for future growth.

“The natural gas industry plays a vital role in the regional economy, providing nearly 500,000 direct and indirect jobs in Pennsylvania. Entire towns that have struggled for decades have seen investment and revitalization thanks to shale development,” Representative Meuser said. “As the former Secretary of Revenue, I was part of the Governor’s team that held meetings with Shell Energy to create the opportunity for the new petrochemical plant in Beaver County.”

Representative Meuser touched on the opportunity low-cost natural gas can provide as we emerge from the pandemic.

“As the nation begins to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever to harness our natural resources to provide low-cost energy to manufacturing companies across the region. Affordable, domestic energy production will help rebuild our supply chains, support job growth, and enhance our national security as we become less dependent on foreign sources.” Representative Meuser continued, “An unfavorable tax and regulatory environment in Pennsylvania is a direct threat to the employees, employers and consumers of affordable energy. Calls from prominent Democrats on the federal level to ‘ban fracking’ and implement a ‘Green New Deal’ are equally threatening and must be defeated.”

Representative Meuser concluded highlighting how the current Administration has worked to help grow domestic energy in the United States.

“President Trump recognizes the economic, environmental, and national security significance of robust domestic energy production. Pennsylvania has greatly benefitted from his leadership and been able to showcase our State’s unparalleled energy industry. The Administration’s efforts to repeal costly regulations have helped American families pay less to heat their homes and ensure that good-paying jobs in the Commonwealth will be attainable for generations to come,” concluded Representative Meuser.

Keith Smith, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Mobilization at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), highlighted his organizations efforts to help get America back to work and jump start the economy.

“This county is facing an unprecedented pandemic, which is why the NAM put forth our American Renewal Action Plan to provide lawmakers with a roadmap on essential policies that would help manufacturers respond to the crisis as quickly as possible, help the country recovery and ultimately lead our economic renewal,” Smith said. “America’s manufacturers will be as critical to lifting our economy out of the current recession as they have been to creating the protective equipment and essential products needed to continue to fight the spread of COVID-19. This is why we are strongly supportive of policies that would strengthen the supply chain and encourage critical investments on U.S. shores.”

Mr. Smith went on to discuss the uncertainty that industry faces as we emerge from the pandemic and reopen the economy. “Targeted liability reform is key to reopening our economy. We have seen states like Iowa which have enacted smart safe harbors and we encourage other states and our federal representatives to enact legislation which will protect those who’ve done the right thing in the face of uncertain dangers associated with COVID-19.”

John Augustine, President and CEO of Penn’s Northeast, discussed the opportunities and how Northeast Pennsylvania is positioned to capitalize on the growth of manufacturing.

“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how dependent the United States remains on foreign nations for the import of many key components used in manufacturing, medicine and food. As the US and Pennsylvania economy start to reopen, we are well positioned to take advantage of a manufacturing renaissance with the abundance of affordable energy, an available workforce, reliable infrastructure and low cost real estate options in Northeastern PA,” Augustine said. “Now is the time to put Pennsylvania back to work and grow our domestic economy instead of relying on foreign countries like China.”

Mr. Augustine went on to emphasize the proximity to markets and available workforce in Northeast Pennsylvania.

“Northeastern Pennsylvania has some of the lowest turnover rates and highest work ethic rates in the country. As a manufacturer, you can reach 1/3 of the US population and 1/2 of the Canadian population within a one-day drive,” Augustine said. “Northeast PA’s skilled, reliable workforce has a national reputation for genuine quality and real value. The 40,000 students enrolled in the region’s more than twenty colleges, universities, and community colleges are ready to provide the full range of skills your business needs.”

Check out these highlights:

For more on today’s Think About Energy Briefing and the briefing series’ history, please visit www.thinkaboutbriefing.com.

Reposted from Think About Energy site.