WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller today urged President Obama to continue his support of natural gas development by also backing investments in workforce development in states that contain natural gas, like West Virginia, to get local workers the training they need to obtain good jobs working in the natural gas industry.  Rockefeller also called for investments in fossil energy research and development, including clean coal technology, to help fully use America’s energy resources, particularly those in West Virginia.

At the State of the Union address on January 24, the President advocated for an all-out energy strategy that develops every source of American energy, including natural gas.  There has been a significant increase in natural gas drilling in northern West Virginia, an area that is still recovering from the loss of manufacturing and steel jobs.  Rockefeller is working to make sure that those workers have the opportunities to fully share in the jobs that drilling will create.

Rockefeller’s letter to the President from February 1 follows:

President Obama:

I want to thank you for your strong State of the Union endorsement for the expanded production of unconventional natural gas from shale resources.  The safe and environmentally responsible development of our nation’s shale resources presents a tremendous opportunity for our country.

In West Virginia, we already have started down this road with the development of the Marcellus Shale and recognize the additional potential of the Utica Shale in our region.  The development of these resources offers our region significant benefits, including increased employment and economic activity and a broadened tax base at the local and state levels.  Perhaps most exciting is the prospect that low-cost natural gas can provide the impetus to revitalize our nation’s manufacturing and chemical sectors, which form a strong economic foundation. 

Unconventional natural gas offers great benefits and raises challenges that we can and must work together to address.  The key stakeholders in West Virginia with whom I have been working on these issues support in unison the disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations.  Maintaining public confidence in the extraction process and safety of natural gas operations will be critical for development to reach its full potential, especially in areas experiencing a sudden increase in production.  That is why West Virginia has moved ahead  in taking initial steps to update our laws and regulations governing shale gas development.  These changes address potential health and safety concerns and create a more stable environment that cultivates growth in this important industry. 

We also must work collaboratively at all levels of government and with the industry to be sure the expanded production of natural gas is done correctly for all involved.  To this end, I would like to ask for your support of the following: 

• Robust funding for federal fossil energy research.  While expanded natural gas production across the United States will increase our nation’s energy security, it cannot be the only energy source we encourage.  Our nation remains dependent on coal for a significant share of our nation’s electricity.  To protect our energy security and reduce the environmental impacts of our energy use, we also must continue to make investments in advanced clean coal technologies.  Just as federal research and development over the past thirty years have contributed to today’s boom in natural gas production from unconventional sources, investments in clean coal technologies will pay great dividends in the coming years. 

• Additional investments in workforce training programs in key emerging markets, including West Virginia.  In my home state, Pierpont Community and Technical College offers industry-approved training to prepare workers for jobs in the oil and gas industry.  Additionally, West Virginia Northern Community College has been working with the Marcellus ShaleNET coalition to offer industry-approved curriculum to help interested employees obtain jobs in the Marcellus Shale industry, an effort that was made possible by a $4.9 million grant from the Department of Labor.  I hope that you will direct the Departments of Education and Labor to find ways to devote more resources to expand these and similar initiatives, as well as to encourage their adoption at more colleges so training is readily available across the Marcellus and Utica regions.  It also is imperative that the Department of Education works on curricula in secondary schools so high school students are prepared for, and can make an easy transition to, community college courses and entry into oil and gas industry employment. 

• Manufacturing. Low and stable natural gas prices are imperative to most manufacturers, many of whom use natural gas for energy, and others--such as the chemical industry--who use natural gas as a feedstock for making many value-added products. 

I look forward to continuing to work with your Administration to promote the safe, responsible development and use of our nation’s energy resources and helping our communities take full advantage of these promising energy opportunities.

Sincerely,

John D. Rockefeller IV

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