“Unlock the vast potential of the Marcellus Shale and West Virginians will see that a bright future has been lying just beneath their feet,” writes ACC President Cal Dooley in an op-ed in the Charleston Daily Mail this morning.
ACC’s fact sheet for West Virginia shale gas paints a more detailed picture of what this “bright future” could look like if the state were to invest $3.2 billion in an ethylene production complex.
Such an investment would yield an estimated $7 billion in additional chemical industry output, create 12,000 permanent jobs and put more than $729 million in wages into the pockets of West Virginia workers.
As Dooley discussed at the Ohio Governor’s Energy & Economic Summit last month, there could be a bright future in store for Ohioans, too.
An article published this morning by Casey Junkins with the The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register explains how the Ohio Utica Shale may supply enough ethane to support a multi-billion-dollar cracker as well.
This fortifying new infrastructure would put 17,000 local residents to work in chemistry and along the supply chain – adding to the 42,000+ Ohioans who already work there.
Photo via allianceblog.org
Click here to read the Daily Mail op-ed.
Cal Dooley: Shale gas can change W.Va.’s fortunes
The Marcellus opportunity boosts manufacturing, too
Charleston Daily Mail
West Virginia has a lot to gain thanks to natural gas from the Marcellus shale.
While many people have focused on the jobs, economic activity and revenue that are sure to accompany new exploration and production, this precious new resource can mean a lot more to the Mountain State.
Located within 500 miles of a majority of the nation’s industrial base and blessed with excellent river and rail transport, West Virginia is well positioned to benefit from its access to abundant supplies of natural gas from throughout the region.
Marcellus shale gas can serve as a catalyst to revitalize manufacturing in West Virginia, with the chemistry industry leading the way.
Today, West Virginia is the 23rd largest chemical-producing state in the nation, employing more than 9,500 West Virginians with a payroll of $686 million.
A study by the American Chemistry Council estimates that a new major petrochemical complex, prompted by the availability of abundant, affordable shale gas, could create 12,000 permanent, high-paying jobs in the chemical and supplier industries.
These jobs would put more than $729 million into the pockets of employees, and state tax revenue would increase by $95 million dollars.
Nationally, increases in shale gas — rich in the ethane that is so valuable to the chemistry industry — could mean 400,000 jobs nationwide in the chemical and supplier industries, with even more created downstream.
For example, the council estimates that about 200,000 more jobs could be created in the plastics industry.
Why is shale gas so important for the business of chemistry?
Because, unbeknownst to many, chemical manufacturers use natural gas not only to power their facilities, but also as a primary raw material to make ingredients that are the building blocks of 96 percent of domestically produced, manufactured goods.
Affordable, stable supplies of domestic natural gas, especially from the Marcellus shale, have been a game changer for U.S. chemical manufacturers, giving them a global competitive edge for the first time in decades.
