I would like to respectfully disagree with the writer of the letter “Fracking falsehoods” (Dec. 18, TribLive). Natural gas development is a vital driver of Pennsylvania’s economy and energy security for the nation.
It is difficult to ignore the benefits and disregard the truth in the numbers. While critics continue to highlight falsehoods, the reality is that the oil and gas industry has delivered on its promises, creating thousands of jobs, boosting local economies throughout the commonwealth and ensuring affordable energy for millions of consumers across the nation.
Thanks to natural gas development, more than 120,000 good-paying Pennsylvania jobs, with an average annual wage of nearly $97,000, benefit our economy each day. The industry supports a wide range of careers and benefits all types of communities and economic sectors. In 2022 alone, more than $41 billion was generated in economic activity, boosting GDP by nearly $25 billion.
Beyond the economic benefits, the environmental progress that’s resulted from increased natural gas use has been transformational. Oil/gas operators are held to high environmental standards in Pennsylvania, and the industry’s representatives deliver. Since 2005, harmful, asthma-causing air pollutants are down nearly 96% from Pennsylvania’s power sector, translating into significantly improved air quality across the state.
Natural gas plays a critical role in our lives, as the focus should be continual improvement and investment in its proven ability to generate both a strong economic future and cleaner environment.
Jeff Walentosky
Kennedy
The writer is president and CEO of Moody and Associates.