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Infrastructure Key to State’s Future

Rolled Steel

As Pennsylvania continues to see increases in oil and natural gas production, the state is quickly becoming competitive to attract energy-intensive manufacturers.  In order to remain competitive, Pennsylvanians need to support modernizing and expanding energy delivery systems.

If there is one issue which Americans can rally around after a contentious and hard-fought political season, it’s the dire need to grow jobs and improve our nation’s infrastructure. As the second-largest natural gas producer in the nation, Pennsylvania has played a key role in the American energy revolution.

But we need to act swiftly and decisively to ensure that critical infrastructure is modernized and enhanced so we don’t lose many of the competitive gains we’ve achieved in the global marketplace. We also must make sure the steps we have taken regarding our energy security are not compromised.

Read more – The Indiana Gazette

Virginia Voters Say Infrastructure a Positive Investment

Laser cutting of metal sheet in tool shop

Recent polling in Virginia shows that nearly 85 percent of residents support investments in energy infrastructure which helps make Virginia more competitive to attract and retain jobs.

Brett Vassey, the president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, said investments in all sorts of infrastructure would help economic development efforts in Virginia. Vassey pointed to improved roads, bridges, oil and natural gas pipelines, and broadband internet.

“Virginia has to compete globally, whether it is pipelines, transmission lines or wastewater plants,’’ Vassey said. “All of those things are critical to manufacturing competitiveness.”

Read more – The News Virginian

The Pipeline-killers Hate People

Man adjusting the temperature on the thermostat of his house

The editorial board of the New York Post recently came out in support of pipelines, discussing how New Yorkers saved over $500 million just as a result of one completed pipeline into Manhattan.

In fact, pipelines are the safest way to move oil and gas. Transport by road or rail is far more likely to bring a spill or explosion, and costs more, too. The anti-pipeline crew doesn’t care, because it wants these fuels to be as expensive as possible.

Yet consider the gains to consumers from just one pipeline, the Trans-Hudson, or Spectra, Pipeline that brings natural gas into Lower Manhattan. It, too, had to overcome green objections — and New Yorkers are lucky it finished before the pipeline-killers really got going.

Read more – New York Post

Carbon Emissions Down to Lowest Levels in 25 Years – Thanks to the Energy Revolution

Natural Gas Storage Tanks

Concerned about air emissions? Here’s some good news – emissions in the United States are dropping and have been dropping due to the increased use of natural gas. In fact, U.S. carbon emissions are on track to be the lowest in almost 25 years.

The federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported in October that carbon emissions for the first six months of 2016 had dropped to 2,530 million metric tons, a level not seen since before the Clinton administration. The EIA further estimated that the total emissions for 2016 would end up being around 5,000 million metric tons, which would be the lowest since 1992. Since 2012 alone, carbon dioxide emissions have dropped 3.8 percent.

There are several factors driving the reduction in emissions. The start of 2016 highlighted a warm winter, which reduced energy consumption for heating. But another major factor is a change in how the United States generates its energy.

The fuel mix has significantly started to change. In place of coal, which used to dominate the market, Americans are now increasingly turning to nuclear power, renewable energy, and especially natural gas. Natural gas has surpassed coal as America’s number one source of energy since 2015, reports the EIA, rising to 34% of America’s energy generation as opposed to coal’s 30%, nuclear’s 19% and renewables’ 15%.

Why is natural gas beating out other energy production methods? There is no one reason, but there are several factors that make natural gas especially useful:

– Natural gas prices have dropped significantly since 2008, to the point where they’re competitive with coal. While the EIA estimates that natural gas prices will rise slightly over the next few years, due to increased demand and competition, they expect that natural gas will remain cheap until at least 2040. For large industries, small businesses, and families with an eye on their budgets, this makes natural gas an easy choice.

– Natural gas is also the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, producing about 50% less CO2 emissions than coal and 20%-30% less than oil. In a time when government environmental laws are tightening and consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of their energy choices, natural gas is an attractive alternative to other fossil fuels.

– Natural gas has a reliable supply. The EIA estimates that the United States has over 80 years’ worth of natural gas available. And since natural gas is produced domestically, there is less risk of price spikes caused by international tensions — unlike oil. Meanwhile, coal production in the United States is declining as purchasers, both at home and internationally, move away from coal.

– Natural gas is more convenient for power producers. Natural gas can be delivered quickly through pipeline rather than having to be hauled by truck and rail car like other forms of energy. And gas-fueled power plants are easy to shut off during periods of low demand and reactivate when needed. All of this means efficiency and savings for the power producer, which can be passed on to consumers.

The future of energy production in the United States has yet to be determined. It will be shaped by an ever-changing combination of government regulations, business requirements, and consumer demands. But it’s clear that natural gas will be a major part of balancing America’s energy and environmental needs, and it has already made major strides in bringing down the country’s CO2 emissions and energy costs. Whether you want to save money or you’re concerned about the state of the world we’ll leave to future generations, or both, natural gas offers a convenient, accessible solution to your concerns.

CEA Issues Statement on Dakota Access Pipeline Decision

Pipeline connection to oil refinery

Houston, TX — David Holt, president of Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), issued the below statement on President Obama’s decision to deny a construction easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Missouri River in North Dakota. The project, already 92 percent complete, has received all its required federal and statement permits, but final construction has been blocked – again – by the Obama Administration.

“CEA is extremely disappointed with the President’s decision. Hyperpartisan politics that suppress energy development and harm everyday American families and small businesses must end. The only people hurt by this decision are consumers and families who could enjoy continued access to low-cost and stable supplies of fuel and the skilled workers who depend on the high-paying jobs pipeline infrastructure projects provide.”

“We need a consistent and predictable regulatory system that allows for timely input, protects the environment and meets our growing energy needs, not a system that caters to a loud mob of professional agitators.”

“It is in our best interest to find pragmatic, realistic solutions together that put the needs of everyday people over the extreme politics of anti-energy activists. It is a sad day when hyperpartisan protestors applaud a decision that raises energy prices and puts even more pressure on those living near poverty or on fixed incomes.”

Economic, Environmental Bliss Hinge on Nuclear Energy

Power plant cooling towers

CEA’s Brydon Ross discusses the importance of nuclear energy to economic development and carbon-free generation of electricity.

The United States is blessed with a significant array of natural resources that includes abundant coal and shale resources, biofuels, geothermal power and growing opportunities for renewable energy. Those sources of energy together have allowed everyone – you, me, our neighbors and co-workers, plus businesses of varying industries and sizes – to relish stable yet affordable electricity prices and an economy on the upswing, despite an increasingly oppressive regulatory landscape. But all that could come to a screeching halt if we don’t act to preserve our current fleet of clean nuclear energy facilities and the cheap, carbon-free, reliable electricity they produce.

Read more – Knoxville News Sentinel

Sabal Trail Gas Pipeline to Start Construction in Lee County

After receiving it’s permit to begin construction, construction workers on the Sabal Trail pipeline are already injecting money into the local economy.  One county alone is expecting to receive nearly $700,000 per year in additional tax revenue as a result of this project.

Lee County Commissioner Robert Ham said he’s already seeing a positive economic impact Lee County. He said when rain moved in this week several idled workers came to a business that leases a building from him.

“A lot of the guys that are in Alex City that are staging and working up there, they all came to the Auburn-Opelika area,” Ham said. “And yes, they’re spending money.”

Read more – Opelika-Auburn News

Will America Reverse an Offshore Oil and Gas Agenda Gone Adrift?

Offshore oil platform in ocean

CEA’s Jack Belcher discusses the importance of taking at thoughtful, deliberative approach to implement successful policies for offshore energy exploration.

In what promises to be one of its final major energy policy decisions, the Obama administration’s Interior Department released its next five-year offshore oil and gas leasing program with no lease sales scheduled for the offshore Arctic or the Atlantic Ocean from 2017 through 2022. While not entirely unexpected, the regrettable decision was the culmination of years of a slow regulatory and comment march in which hundreds of thousands of citizens, communities, and businesses expressed their hope that the administration would seize upon the progress made by the U.S. during the energy revolution and translate our know-how and technology advances into an even bigger job creator and source of economic growth for American families and communities.

Read more – E&P

Pipeline Infrastructure Vital to Michigan’s Energy Security

Stack of pipelines

CEA Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura discusses the importance of pipeline infrastructure in the state of Michigan.

Traditionally, infrastructure development has been a bipartisan issue with open dialogue between Democrats and Republicans. Policymakers and regulators from both parties have typically understood that affordable, reliable energy was vital to everyone in society and that required a rational, regulatory regime based on compromise and efficient, law-abiding permitting processes. This is because years of study and analysis – from federal safety regulators – has shown that pipelines are by far the safest, most efficient and most environmentally sound way to deliver energy.

Read more – Lansing State Journal

Peco Extends Gas Lines to Customers Who Long to Tie Into the Shale Boom

Natural gas used for cooking

Although Pennsylvania is flush with natural gas, there are many under-served areas across the state.  Now, some neighborhoods are able to realize the benefits and savings of natural gas as utilities build out their pipeline networks.

A utility’s announcement that it is about to rip up a neighborhood’s streets typically generates dread among the locals.

But the mood was festive Monday in a section of Tredyffrin Township, where Peco Energy Co. had a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the site where it will dig trenches in seven streets over the next three months to bring natural-gas service to 160 homes.

“This was a long time coming,” said Melinda Taylor, a resident of Saunders Drive in Wayne and one of the principal organizers of the effort to enlist Peco to extend gas service in the neighborhood of mid-century homes.

Read more – The Philadelphia Inquirer

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