We agree with Marcellus Shale Coalition President Jim Welty’s optimism — and we hope lawmakers across Pennsylvania can recognize the opportunities with which our state has been blessed.

In an op-ed column in this past weekend’s edition of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Welty detailed how northern Pennsylvania is well-positioned to be at the center of new technologies and industries.

While we still have some reservations about the potential uses and effectiveness of artificial intelligence — or AI — we believe that in time we, as a nation and a society, can find the best applications of this new endeavor. And we don’t doubt how essential data centers will be as so many facets of technological advancement continue.

But these industries require energy. Which is why Pennsylvania, rich in natural gas, finds itself in an excellent position for sustained economic opportunity and growth.

“Pennsylvania natural gas isn’t just abundant and affordable – it’s the only fully American energy source that can meet the growing, immediate demand,” Welty wrote. “Developing and using it strengthens our economy, supports good-paying jobs and provides the reliability our digital future demands.”

While we also believe there will be a role for solar, wind and other sources of energy to meet the demands of new industries and existing industries, the Marcellus Shale Coalition is right that Pennsylvania’s natural gas is the most critical piece of the puzzle — it does not require battery capacity to meet the economy’s needs consistently and produces less pollution than other conventional sources of energy or, as they are perhaps better known, “fossil fuels.”

In fact, as our past editorials have noted, a notable decrease in carbon emissions in the U.S. closely parallels the shift from other “fossil fuels” to natural gas. Moreover, the evolution of technology to which Pennsylvania could play host — and serve as home to newly-created jobs — will almost certainly assist developers in finding new ways of further reducing the impact of conventional energy sources.

We hope leaders throughout our region and state, at all levels, can appreciate the awe-inspiring scope of these opportunities and help northern Pennsylvania be the engine that powers future generations’ technologies.