More gas pipelines needed for Ohio jobs and America's energy future: Robert W. Chase (Opinion)
July 31, 2017
Construction of natural gas pipelines in the eastern United States is running up against fierce local opposition. It's a helmet-to-helmet environmental dispute like no other and it could stall the shale revolution and pose a greater danger to America's energy supply than anything that could come from OPEC or Vladimir Putin.
The reality is that almost nobody likes or appreciates natural gas pipelines. Let's simply note that everyday life wouldn't be the same without the gas that these pipelines carry for electricity generation, home heating and cooking, and industrial production. And there is little question that demand for natural gas is rising. Witness the retirement of aging coal and nuclear plants in favor of those that burn low-cost, clean natural gas.
Without improvements in the natural gas infrastructure, experts say that half of the nation's economy from the Northeast to the Midwest will be under severe stress. Without adequate gas supplies, energy-intensive industries would be unable to remain open and the electrical-power-generating industry would suffer significantly. Thousands of working people could lose their jobs. Local economies, especially here in Appalachia, would suffer.
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