Natural gas benefits Pennsylvania | PennLive letters - PennLive

Natural gas benefits Pennsylvania | PennLive letters - pennlive.com

As the winter approaches, residents throughout the northern part of the country are bracing for costly heating bills. There has already been snow in the Midwest, and frost has begun its morning greeting here in Pennsylvania. Clearly, Pennsylvania is unlikely to escape the cold temperatures that lay ahead, yet we do have one major advantage to staying warm – our natural gas resources.

According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), over half of Pennsylvania households use natural gas as their primary home-heating fuel. And it does not stop there. Our natural gas resources don’t just benefit our state.

According to the EIA, the Commonwealth’s underground gas storage sites help meet regional heating demands here in the northeast. Natural gas is affordable, reliable – and in the case of Pennsylvania – abundant. As a result, both residential and commercial consumers have realized savings, in addition to peace of mind, from lower energy and heating costs. In many cases, these savings are significant. In fact, a recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy found that natural gas is 3.3 times more affordable than other residential energy sources. That equates to real savings for Pennsylvania residents.

In a world where alternate energy sources continue to raise questions about the true costs for users and our environment, for one am thankful for Pennsylvania’s vast natural gas supplies.

Sherri B. Chippo, Hampden Township, Pa.