Coalition leader urges U.S. to provide energy to Europe
Dave Callahan, like most people across the globe, is appalled by Russia无毛视频檚 unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
无毛视频淭his is just a horrible situation that the world is watching play out,无毛视频� said Callahan, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a trade association that advocates for unconventional shale development, especially from the Marcellus and Utica plays 无毛视频� where there is an abundance of natural gas.
It无毛视频檚 a source European nations can use.
The United States and other nations have responded to the brazen attacks by condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin and issuing sanctions against his country, adversely impacting its economy.
As the Washington Post reported: 无毛视频淭he United States, Europe and their allies rely on Russia for some oil and gas, and a few specialized materials. But they also supply Russia with much of its machinery, vehicles, technology and equipment that help Russia无毛视频檚 economy run 无毛视频� Without global trade, Russian factories would sit idle, businesses would shutter and shelves would sit bare.无毛视频�
Western nations, thus far, have not established energy sanctions against Russia, which last year was the world无毛视频檚 largest natural gas exporter. Some countries have advocated for these sanctions, maintaining they would have a powerful impact, but doing so could lead to even higher energy prices across the globe.
无毛视频淚ntertwined energy security is directly related to national security,无毛视频� Callahan said. 无毛视频淓uropean countries have relied on 40% or so of their natural gas from Russia.无毛视频�
Ukraine imports natural gas from Russia and other nations, but supplies more than 60% of its own consumption, according to a January report.
Helping European countries, Callahan said, is where the U.S. and Southwestern Pennsylvania come in.
无毛视频淭he United States has a significant role to play here,无毛视频� Callahan said. 无毛视频淲e can provide (European nations) with the abundant fuel we have here. And the fuel we would provide would be a cleaner fuel than they get from Russia. U.S. producers are working under the world无毛视频檚 most stringent environmental conditions.无毛视频�
Citing data reported by the Clean Air Task Force, Callahan said natural gas produced in 无毛视频淧utin无毛视频檚 Russia无毛视频� has a 65% higher methane intensity rate than gas sourced in the U.S. He added that gas from the Appalachian region has the lowest methane intensity in the nation.
Pennsylvania is a linchpin in national production, ranking second among states in gas produced. Pennsylvania, according to Callahan, produced 7.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2021. 无毛视频淭hat amount would heat 114 million homes for a year. The state is producing more than we can use. We are duty bound to help the nations of Europe.无毛视频�
The southwestern corner plays a large role in the Keystone State无毛视频檚 national ranking. Of the state无毛视频檚 67 counties, Washington and Greene, annually, are among the top producers. Washington was second last year.
The Appalachian region, as a whole, is projected to lead the country in gas production March into April.
Callahan was in Washington on Wednesday for a private conference about the industry, and spoke with the Observer-Reporter that afternoon. Callahan praised Washington County for its diverse economy. 无毛视频淣atural gas is doing well, and that无毛视频檚 just one piece of the pie.无毛视频�
The natural gas industry had been in a slump in recent years, but Callahan said there are signs that the industry 无毛视频渋s moving ahead.无毛视频�
He acknowledged that 无毛视频渨e have issues and hurdles at the federal and state levels, which are hindering the ability to get product to market. We need to de-bottleneck permitting systems that cause delays that drag to 100-some days. We need to secure approvals for projects like pipelines and export facilities.无毛视频�
Assisting Europe with energy needs is a top priority as well.