January 7, 2014
The Honorable Jim Ferlo
Penn. State Senate
Senate Box 203038
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3038
Room: 535 Main Capitol Building
Dear Senator Ferlo,
It’s January. It’s cold.
No surprise there, but why in the middle of the harsh winter months are you working to advance legislation the Statewide Natural Gas Drilling Moratorium Act (SB 1100.) If made into law, Pennsylvania’s bustling shale gas economy would come to a halt.
Your constituents will be affected.
In total 2.6 million people in Pennsylvania use natural gas with 38% using natural gas to heat their homes. And, because of, not in spite of shale gas development – home heating costs in Pennsylvania are down 50% over the past five years.
Pennsylvania is a leader in responsible energy development. In the month of December 2012 the Marcellus Shale which is located in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia accounted for 18% of the nation’s total natural gas production.
New technologies in shale resource development are creating a boom in natural gas production. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. produced more than 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2012 – a trillion cubic feet more than in 2011 — adding to a 25 percent production increase nationally since 2007.
Consumer Energy Alliance believes your legislation will leave people out in the cold. We urge you to abandon the Statewide Natural Gas Drilling Moratorium Act (SB 1100.)
Sincerely,
Andrew Browning
Executive Vice President
Consumer Energy Alliance
CC: Senators: Boscola, Dinniman, Kitchen, Leach, Schwank, Tartaglione, and Washington
