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As Dave Callahan, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, noted in an op-ed column in Thursday's Sun-Gazette, the natural gas industry creates "good-paying energy jobs in towns and communities across the commonwealth" and plays "a critical role in promoting U.S. energy independence."
But as Callahan noted this, he also noted that these are not his words -- the quotes instead come from Pennsylvania's two Democratic senators, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock.
Callahan is correct that support for this vital industry has an important history of crossing partisan lines in Pennsylvania.
That is understandable -- natural gas has indeed created much-needed jobs in rural Pennsylvania and brought necessary tax and fee revenue to communities that would otherwise be unable to pursue projects that improve and enrich those communities.
Beyond Pennsylvania's state lines, as Callahan detailed, liquified natural gas is exported to America's European allies -- at a time when reducing Europe's dependence on Russian energy is tantamount. Plans to increase LNG production would better meet the world's energy demands and stabilize the world energy market.
"Communities across Pennsylvania, and around the world, rely on Pennsylvania-produced natural gas for affordable, clean, and essential energy needs, and it remains the most economically viable and sustainable solution," Callahan wrote in Thursday's op-ed column.
All of these are reasons why the White House's decision to curtail permits for new LNG projects frankly isn't understandable.
We hope President Biden and his cabinet are willing to listen, if not to Dave Callahan and the Marcellus Shale Coalition then to Senators Casey and Fetterman and Gov. Josh Shapiro and reverse this destructive policy.