Posts Tagged ‘shale gas forum’

Barnstorming Pa., MSC Continues to Educate, Engage “Friends of Marcellus”

The positive and overwhelming benefits associated with the responsible development of the Marcellus Shale’s abundant, homegrown, clean-burning natural gas know no county lines or state borders. Considered to be the world’s second largest natural gas field – second only to one in Iran – the Marcellus Shale’s potential to generate jobs, revenue and opportunity for all Pennsylvanians is real. And it’s a story worth taking on the road.

And so this week, that’s what the Marcellus Shale Coalition and its growing grassroots network did – traveling the length and width of the Commonwealth to continue to educate and engage the 12 million folks that proudly call Pennsylvania home. Along the way, we also took some time to  highlight the economic, supply-chain and job growth opportunities that continue to be created for the local workforce — efforts that will continue at an aggressive pace as the responsible exploration of clean-burning natural gas in Pennsylvania continues to expand.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the ground that the MSC has covered in just the past couple days, along with a run-down of where we’re headed next:

We Started in Philadelphia

The MSC joined the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to educate local businesses last week of the enormous opportunities that exist up and down the Marcellus Shale supply chain. MSC president Kathryn Klaber also met with elected leaders in Philadelphia to discuss the merits of natural gas-powered vehicles, and other benefits that the Mighty Marcellus will continue to deliver to the city’s residents.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• “There’s a lot of safeguards in place…that make sure Pennsylvanians have safe drinking water,” said Marcellus Shale Coalition president Kathryn Klaber. Klaber is also here to talk about the economic benefits of expanding drilling, mainly the estimated 200,000 jobs that would be created in Pennsylvania. (ABC6 TV, 8/13/10)

Then We Headed Back to Pittsburgh

At the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Energy Inc. conference yesterday afternoon, Gov. Tom Ridge – as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – highlighted the benefits of responsible Marcellus development, as well as the safeguards in place and the commitment from the industry to protect the environment.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Gov. Tom Ridge

o    “I think this is a potentially a transformational opportunity for our state. At the same time, we have to – we must – do it in a way consistent with our commitment to retain the beauty and the bounty, and the pristine condition of Pennsylvania.”

o    “I was on site today that 80 or 90 folks working that at the that site, and about 80 percent of them were local residents from Pennsylvania. Of course, the economic sustainability is real. They call it the ‘Marcellus Multiplier.’

o    “At the end of the day, facts are stubborn things. And we just have to get some facts out there so people can better understand what the industry can do – and will do – to build a sustainable economic model and be true to our commitment to the environment.”

And Now We’re Headed to State College – And Beyond

In an effort to further underscore the benefits responsible that Marcellus Shale development is generating for family farmers and Pennsylvania’s agriculture economy, the MSC will attend Penn State University’s Ag Progress Days today. And tomorrow, MSC president Kathryn Klaber will discuss ways that local business can join the growing Marcellus supply chain network with the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) at Lock Haven University; she will also participate in a shale gas forum at Marywood University, alongside U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

Interested in learning more, and joining our fight for a stronger economy and a cleaner and more secure energy future? Become a “Friend of Marcellus” today.