Inside
the
Industry
Energy & Manufacturing
COMPILED BY JENNIFER JETT PREZKOP
There is no doubt about it: this is an exciting time for the
energy and manufacturing industries in West Virginia. Ad-
vances in technology and the exploration of new opportunities
have marked the beginning of a new chapter for the businesses
that extract fossil fuels or manufacture everyday goods used
around the world. The possibilities for job creation, economic
growth and exporting success within the natural gas industry
alone are endless. Manufacturing is seeing a resurgence that, if
capitalized on, can breathe new life into the Mountain State’s
economy. Even the coal industry is seeing an upswing as it
reinvents itself to capture new market shares.
These opportunities do not come without challenges. Over-
coming legal delays on pipeline infrastructure projects and
addressing climate change concerns and qualified workforce
Anne Blankenship
Executive Director,
West Virginia Oil and
Natural Gas Association
WVE: Give us an update on what has happened in
your industry over the last year.
AB: The oil and natural gas industry continues to grow in
West Virginia, which means more taxes paid back to the state
and local communities, more jobs created and a continued eco-
nomic boom for West Virginia. Although production continues
to increase, much-needed pipeline projects have been stalled
over the past year by legal challenges brought by anti-fossil
fuel activists. These lawsuits are prohibiting West Virginia
from reaching its full potential by prolonging the construction
and ultimate operation of this infrastructure. In order for us
to use natural gas, we must have pipelines in place to get it
where it needs to be. Stalling these pipelines only stalls progress
in West Virginia, including the creation of thousands of jobs
and the collection of property taxes in the counties where the
pipelines are located. These projects need the support of our
state, our leaders and our lawmakers.
WVE: Tell us about how the 2019 legislative session
impacted your industry.
shortages, as well as the ability to compete on even ground
with surrounding states, are just a few of the obstacles these
industries are facing.
To learn more about these challenges and what the state is
doing to help these industries reach their full potential, West
Virginia Executive magazine sat down with the leadership of
the four professional associations representing coal, natural
gas and manufacturing in the Mountain State.
Editor’s Note: After these Q&As were completed, Gov-
ernor Jim Justice vetoed HB 2673, which pertains to the
natural gas industry.
AB: This year, we focused on updating existing laws that
have been in place for decades for deep wells. With horizontal
drilling, deep wells can be drilled more efficiently and with
less land disturbance, but the spacing requirements for deep
wells were promulgated more than 30 years ago for vertically
drilled wells and do not make sense for new drilling technol-
ogy. House Bill (HB) 2834 would have updated those spacing
requirements, but we did not get support from the Senate to
pass the bill. We are hopeful that regulatory changes over the
next year can be made quickly to update the requirements
appropriately. We were also supportive of legislation to reduce
permit timelines, but that was also unsuccessful this year.
WVE: How do you think the latest calls for action
against climate change will impact your industry?
AB: Interestingly, as natural gas production has increased,
methane emissions have decreased. Nationally, natural gas
production has increased by 6 percent, yet methane emissions
have decreased by 8 percent. This is due to the use of natural
gas to generate electricity. In fact, according to the International
Energy Agency, in the last 10 years, emissions reductions in
the U.S.—almost 800 million tons—have been the largest
in the history of energy, and the U.S. is leading the world in
CO 2 reductions because of natural gas. Increased momentum
in West Virginia for using natural gas to make electricity will
help continue this trend, among other benefits.
WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM
SPRING 2019
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