Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito

Mr. Speaker, the natural gas industry is very important to my constituents in West Virginia. Given the exciting opportunities that my state has as a result of the Marcellus Shale, I particularly appreciate the opportunity to discuss ancillary industries that West Virginia has the opportunity to develop as a result of its shale resources. I applaud Congressmen Reed and Critz for organizing a Special Order on the Shale's ancillary industries.

America's current energy policy is highly flawed. My constituents can see its flaws when they are forced to pay higher prices at the gas pump. Newly found shale resources have given us a major opportunity to take advantage of home-grown natural resources like natural gas diversifying our energy portfolio and making us less dependent on foreign sources of energy. Our combined recoverable oil, natural gas and coal resources is the largest in the world. The United States must seize the opportunity to tap into these resources; however the Administration remains intent on enforcing a moratorium on energy production and transportation.

In 2009, the oil and natural gas industry supported 24,400 jobs in West Virginia. It is projected that the next decade could see an increase in 18,000 to 26,000 jobs due to Marcellus investment and production. In addition to the economic boost that this nation can receive by utilizing its own energy resources, we also have the opportunity to strengthen existing industries and to also develop new ones. There are abundant resources present in the Marcellus Shale, including natural gas, oil, propane, and ethane. These resources can be used to heat our homes, power our vehicles and fleets, and to serve as a feedstock for chemical production.

As my colleagues from Ohio and Pennsylvania know, our states are currently competing against one another to attract chemical plants known as ``crackers''. A single cracker would result in billions of dollars in investment, tens of thousands of construction jobs, and thousands of permanent jobs. It would also create jobs across the region and across the economic spectrum. A cracker would increase the local tax base, allowing local school districts to have more funds available to improve the education offered to our children.

Attracting a cracker to the region will benefit all of our states and the country as a whole, but my hope is that West Virginia is successful at gaining this exciting opportunity. I believe that West Virginia has everything that a company desiring to build a cracker could want. West Virginia has a strong budget picture, an improving tax climate, a ready and able workforce, and a strong history in the chemical industry. I want my constituents to know that I am working with other leaders from West Virginia to attract a cracker. A cracker would give West Virginians what they want the most: good paying jobs that will allow them to put food on the table and live the American dream.

Additionally, production in the Marcellus Shale gives us the opportunity to revive our industrial base. This is especially the case in regions that have historically been dominated by the steel and chemical industries. In order to actually produce the sources available in the shale we must first have steel and industrial equipment. The new demand for these materials will hopefully allow previously shuttered facilities to reopen, new facilities to be built, and existing facilities to increase production. All of this will create jobs.

We are blessed in West Virginia to have abundant, natural resources that power our country. The Marcellus Shale will undoubtedly play a major role in the future of the energy industry, moving us toward energy independence and creating jobs in ancillary industries as well as the energy industry.

Of course we must develop these resources in a responsible manner that ensures our grandchildren have clean air and water. It is essential that a proper regulatory structure is in place, one that balances exploiting this tremendous resource with environmental concerns. However, it is not necessary for the federal government and bureaucrats in Washington to balance these concerns. I fully support States being able to regulate the natural gas industry without undue interference from Washington bureaucrats. I am confident that states have the ability to regulate this industry, West Virginia showed that it had the ability to do so when it passed comprehensive legislation regulating shale gas production.

I urge my colleagues to continue fighting to ensure that we are able to take advantage of our domestic resources to create the jobs that Americans so desperately need.