It’s January. It’s Cold.
No surprise there, but why in the middle of the harsh winter months are Pennsylvania State Senators working to advance legislation to put a moratorium on shale gas development in Pennsylvania? The bill is SB 1100 or the Statewide Natural Gas Drilling Moratorium Act. If made into law, Pennsylvania’s bustling shale gas economy would come to a halt.
Who would 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 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.
Don’t be left out of the cold this winter. Join Consumer Energy Alliance in keeping the heat on in Pennsylvania.
Consumer Energy Alliance is urging state legislators to abandon the Statewide Natural Gas Drilling Moratorium Act. (SB 1100.)