Published in the Pittsburgh Business Times, by Paul J. Gough

January 22, 2014

Gov. Tom Corbett's 73-page energy plan released Tuesday proclaims an "all of the above - and below" strategy that ties the industry to jobs growth.

Gov. Tom Corbett's 73-page energy plan released Tuesday proclaims an "all of the above - and below" strategy that ties the industry to jobs growth.

"Energy = Jobs" was released Tuesday during an appearance at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, a booming center of Marcellus Shale drilling in the eastern part of the commonwealth.

The report lays out a broad overview for coal, solar, biomass, wind, nuclear and oil and natural gas. It said 240,000 residents work in the oil and gas industry with wages much higher than the state's average and with an expected $14 billion pumped into the economy by 2020.

"Our 'all of the above' energy policy is reinforced by four core concepts to guide our support of energy source development: free markets; independence and security; abundant, affordable and domestic; and environmental enhancement," the report said.

More about the strategy is found on Corbett's website.

The Pennsylvania Coal Alliance came out in support of the proposal.

"An 'all-of-the-above' approach to energy makes enormous sense in building an energy portfolio," said Pennsylvania Coal Alliance CEO John Pippy in a prepared statement released Tuesday. "The governor's plan recognizes the critical role coal plays, and will continue to play, in the generation of electricity."

(Paul J. Gough, "Corbett unveils state energy proposal," Pittsburgh Business Times, 1/22/14)