Economic Impacts of Natural Gas Production

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan Congressional Natural Gas Caucus convened a congressional field hearing on Friday at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I am proud to have joined Representatives Gene Green, Tom Reed, and Tom Marino to hear from State and local officials and leaders on the economic impacts of natural gas production in the Marcellus shale region. The hearing offered an insightful look at the benefits of the 3,551 gas-producing wells in Pennsylvania.

One of those benefits is jobs. Today, 30,752 people in Pennsylvania are employed in the natural gas industry. This is a 164 percent increase since 2009. The average salary is $82,643. Additionally, 214,302 are employed in ancillary industries, a 7.9 percent increase since 2009. In just two rural northern Pennsylvania counties, testimony revealed an increase of 4,832 jobs and 226 businesses between 2006 and 2012. Most importantly, 80 percent of those jobs are now filled by local workers.

Mr. Speaker, the responsible production of natural gas is producing energy security and an economic impact that surpasses all expectations.

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