Events

Webinar: Pennsylvania Budget & Economic Policy Discussion – May 28, 2020

Williamsport, PA – Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, in cooperation with Penn’s Northeast, the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce hosted a Think About Energy Briefing webinar on Thursday May 28, 2020.

Today’s webinar featured PA State Senator John Yudichak (I-14), PA State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23)  and  Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr.

The webinar provided attendees with important and timely updates on the Pennsylvania 2020-2021 budget, safely reopening Pennsylvania’s economy and positioning the state’s manufacturing and business community for success.

George Stark, Director, External Affairs, Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, moderated today’s discussion. “Pennsylvania is fortunate to have our guests in their respective positions. Together, they have helped to advance smart and proven public policies and better position Pennsylvania’s businesses – those providing the job opportunities we all need – for success, especially as we look to emerge from the generational challenges we currently face,” said Stark.

Senator Gene Yaw , Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee, focused on the impact of natural gas production on the economy, workforce and everyday life.

“In Pennsylvania alone, the natural gas industry supports over 300,000 good-paying jobs,” said Senator Yaw. “A moratorium on this crucial energy supply would be disastrous, risking potential outages and hitting working families’ pocketbooks by raising prices. Natural gas is involved in almost every aspect of our daily lives from the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the medicines we take, to the cars we drive, to the electricity and cell phones we use and, yes, even to the manufacturing of solar panels and wind turbines. In Pennsylvania, shale development has helped cut residential electric bills by 40%.”

Senator Yaw touched on the environmental benefits of natural gas production and the Impact Fee.

“The Impact Fee is a tax, and it is working for the benefit of local communities. My district experiences its broad benefits firsthand. The Act 13 Impact Fee is the most significant piece of legislation we have seen for rural Pennsylvania in a generation,” said Senator Yaw. “Remember our “Impact Tax,” the only one of its kind in the U.S., generates more public funds from the gas industry than the so-called severance taxes in Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio and West Virginia combined.” Senator Yaw went on to highlight the positive environmental impacts attributed to the increased use of natural gas by Pennsylvania consumers. “Over the past two decades, as natural gas has ramped up, carbon emissions have dramatically decreased.  These achievements are in-large-part a result of technological advancements being made by the private sector, not government.”

Senator John Yudichak, member of the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee, discussed the potential downstream opportunities in manufacturing and the role natural gas can play in recovering the economy from the pandemic.

“Today’s Think About Energy webinar served as a great platform to talk about the exciting potential for energy sector jobs in Pennsylvania,” said Senator John Yudichak. “The abundance and affordability of Pennsylvania natural gas can set the stage for unprecedented growth in downstream advanced manufacturing jobs that can help Pennsylvania recover from the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvania is in fierce competition with other gas producing states to lure downstream petrochemical manufactures, and we must be prepared to put economic incentives on the table, like the Energy and Fertilizer Manufacturing Tax Credit, which leverages private investment in the construction and build out of the petrochemical industry in the primarily dry gas play in northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Senator Yudichak highlighted how Pennsylvania is poised for significant growth.

“We are competing in a global economy, and Pennsylvania must be prepared to maximize its position as the second largest producer of natural gas in the country to fully leverage the economic opportunities of expanding our petrochemical industry and creating thousands of new, good-paying energy sector jobs.”

Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr highlighted the organizations role in helping restart the economy after the pandemic.

“The Pennsylvania Chamber’s new ‘Bringing PA Back’ initiative is arming employers with the information they need to safely and efficiently welcome back employees and customers. Our interactive website at www.BringingPABack.com provides site visitors with the  latest guidelines from the state and CDC;  along with the public policy agenda we’re pursuing to help jumpstart Pennsylvania’s economy,” said Barr.

Barr continued, “Healthcare professionals and businesses that have been  treating patients, slowing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping critical supply chains intact during  this pandemic need to have targeted, temporary liability reforms in place as they continue to do their important  work. The Pennsylvania Chamber is proud to be leading the charge in advocating  for reforms that will help to protect them from frivolous lawsuits.”

Mr. Barr discussed the efforts the Pennsylvania Chamber is doing to ensure policies are in place to help rebuild the Commonwealth’s economy.

“As the state grapples with soaring unemployment and a revenue shortfall, the Pennsylvania Chamber is working with elected officials toward a balanced budget for the coming Fiscal Year that does not impose any new tax burdens on businesses and individuals –  including no new taxes on the state’s natural gas industry, which is providing affordable and clean energy to customers. During this time of great uncertainty, Pennsylvania needs public policies that will encourage investment and job creation as we work to get our economy back on track.”

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About Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE: COG) – Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the development, exploitation and exploration of oil and gas properties exclusively in the continental United States. Cabot continues to refine its operating focus, narrowing its natural gas development effort to the Marcellus Shale in northeast Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.cabotog.com.

About Penn’s Northeast – Penn’s Northeast is Northeastern Pennsylvania’s regional economic development agency, dedicated to attracting quality employers to Northeastern Pennsylvania. Penn’s Northeast serves Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Wayne, Schuylkill, Pike & Columbia Counties. The organization serves as a single regional point of contact for businesses looking to relocate to or expand within Northeastern Pennsylvania, functioning as a liaison between local development partners, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and businesses seeking new facilities. Learn more at www.pennsnortheast.com.

About the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce – The Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce strives to improve the quality of life for the residents of Wyoming County through aiding in the development of a thriving business community. The Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce envisions a community in which all are able to succeed and grow, and seeks to achieve this by serving as a catalyst for business attraction, expansion, and diversification. Learn more at www.wyccc.com.

About the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce – The Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce has been working on behalf of businesses in Lycoming County since 1885. The organization not only provides general Chamber services but is also the agency for economic development in Lycoming County whereby they keep in close contact with local, state and federal leaders informing them of what is of importance for businesses in the community. In addition, the Chamber operates the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau along with the Visitors Information Center and the Leadership Lycoming programs. Learn more at www.williamsport.org.

 About Think About Energy Briefing – Think About Energy Briefing is an educational program to help communities understand the environmental and economic opportunities afforded by the Appalachian Region’s abundant natural gas reserves. Originating in 2013, the briefing brings together individuals and businesses to hear from top industry representatives, public officials, natural gas producers, midstream companies, utilities, trade associations, educational institutions and ends users. Learn more at www.thinkaboutbriefing.com.

 

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Press Release

Speakers

  • Senator Gene Yaw
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    Senator Gene Yaw

    Senator Gene Yaw was elected to represent the 23rd Senatorial District in November 2008.

    Prior to running for the Senate, Yaw served as Lycoming County solicitor for 17 years and was named County Solicitor of the Year in 2004. He has also served as general counsel to the Pennsylvania College of Technology for more than 20 years.  In 2013, he was elected Chairman of the Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors.

    Senator Yaw serves as Chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.  He is also a member of the Appropriations, Judiciary, Law and Justice, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Banking and Insurance, and the Majority Policy Committee.  Senator Yaw serves on a number of Boards and Commissions including as Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a member of the Environmental Quality Board, a member of the Pennsylvania Aggregate Advisory Board, and a member of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority.

    Senator Yaw is a member of the Lycoming Law Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and a former member of the Board of Directors of Susquehanna Legal Services. He serves as “Of Counsel” with the McCormick Law Firm in Williamsport, a prominent firm which has been in continuous existence for 150 years.

    A U.S. Army veteran, Yaw enlisted and went on to graduate from the United States Artillery and Missile Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served an overseas tour of duty as an artillery officer and was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant.

    He graduated from Montoursville High School, attended Bucknell University, and earned degrees from Lycoming College and the American University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

    Senator Yaw has coached Little League Baseball, and coached and refereed for the American Youth Soccer Organization. He is a member of the National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, the Nittany Lion Club, and the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. He received the 2010 Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award from the Susquehanna Council, Boy Scouts of America, the 2011 Lycoming College Alumni of the Year Award, the 2011 CAPPA Community Partner Award, the Central Pennsylvania State of Israel Bonds 2012 Israel Unity Award, the 2013 Pennsylvania Winery Association Industry Supporter Award, the 2014 Pennsylvania College of Technology Centennial Leadership Award, the 2015 Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award and the 2019 Pennsylvania Water Environment Association Public Official of the Year Award.

    A Loyalsock Township resident, Yaw is married to Ann S. Pepperman, Esquire and has two children, Scott and Mackenzie, and two grandchildren. He attends First United Methodist Church in Williamsport.

  • Senator John Yudichak
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    Senator John Yudichak

    State Senator John T. Yudichak is in his third term serving Carbon and Luzerne counties as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate. Prior to serving as the senator for the 14th legislative district, Senator Yudichak was a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2010.

    Senator Yudichak has been a leader at building public-private partnerships that have spurred economic development and created thousands of jobs in northeastern Pennsylvania. He has worked closely with environmental organizations like the Earth Conservancy and the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation to reclaim mine scarred lands and bring national developers like NorthPoint Development to northeastern Pennsylvania. Because of these efforts and infrastructure investments like the South Valley Parkway, many national corporations have chosen to build facilities and create jobs along the I-81 corridor.

    Senator Yudichak’s legislative accomplishments throughout his tenure in the Senate and House include the Sgt. Sherwood Baker Act; the Senior Citizens Full Benefits Act; the Waste Tire Act; and the Underground Storage Act. He has also worked in a bipartisan manner on legislative issues such as the Coal Refuse Energy and Reclamation Tax Credit and the Public Safety Facilities Act.

    Keeping communities safe has always been a priority for Senator Yudichak. He helped write Pennsylvania’s first anti-gang law and launched Operation Gang Up, a regional, community-based initiative created to address criminal gang activity in northeastern Pennsylvania with then Congressman Lou Barletta.

    As the father of four daughters, Senator Yudichak is passionate about childhood education. One of his proudest accomplishments has been the success of the SHINE Afterschool Programs of Carbon/Schuylkill and Luzerne counties. Through the SHINE program, students focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) activities.

    Senator Yudichak was instrumental in the creation of the $4 million Luzerne County Small Business Loan Program that helped the local small business community recover from devastating floods in 2011. The loan program continues to serve as a perpetual resource for area small businesses to create jobs and expand their businesses.

    A tireless advocate for public libraries and area youth programs, Senator Yudichak founded the Yudichak Family Lighthouse Fund of the Luzerne Foundation through private charitable efforts. The Yudichak Family Lighthouse Fund has donated more than $100,000 to local libraries and other important community programs.

    In 2018, Senator Yudichak hiked and biked all 165 miles of the Delaware & Lehigh Trail, raising awareness about the value of the D&L trail in Pennsylvania and the importance of closing gaps that exist along the trail.

    He is a graduate of Greater Nanticoke Area High School, Wyoming Seminary Preparatory School and Pennsylvania State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in American Studies.

  • Gene Barr
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    Gene Barr

    Gene Barr is the President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the state’s largest broad-based business advocacy association. He oversees all operations of the PA Chamber and its for-profit subsidiary, PA Chamber Insurance.

    Barr joined the PA Chamber in February 2003. He served for more than eight years as Vice President of Government and Public Affairs prior to being elected President in October 2011. During his tenure, Barr has worked on a large number of significant legislative and regulatory efforts critical to Pennsylvania’s business climate.

    Barr has more than 40 years of experience in various facets of government, political and public affairs activity, as well as business operations. He worked for BP America (the U.S. subsidiary of British Petroleum) for more than 12 years. His career at BP included assignments in refining at the company’s Marcus Hook, PA refinery, retail marketing at the U.S. headquarters in Cleveland, OH, and in state government affairs in BP’s Atlanta, GA regional office, where he was responsible for all legislative activities in six states.

    In 1992, Barr joined the Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania, the state office of the American Petroleum Institute, as Associate Director. This office is responsible for all legislative, regulatory and media activity affecting the major oil companies. In 1997, he was named Executive Director of API.

    In 2000, he joined the law firm of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, the largest Harrisburg-based law firm, to start a government relations practice.

    Barr served as a local elected official in the Philadelphia area for almost 10 years. He graduated from St. Joseph’s University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

    Previously, Barr served as a board member and chair of the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board, as a board member for United Way of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation. He was also appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell as a member of the Stimulus Oversight Commission and served as a member of Gov. Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission.

    Barr is a member and previous chair of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council and is a member of the Early Learning Investment Commission. In 2019, he was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to co-chair the Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center. He is a current member of the Council of State Chambers and the U. S. Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, Committee of 100 and Nominating and Governance Committee.  Barr serves on the boards of the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, the Bridge Educational Foundation and United Way of the Capital Region.

    In 2017, Barr was named ‘The Most Effective Association Lobbyist’ in the Commonwealth in a poll conducted by Pennsylvania Legislative Services. Also that year, he was included in Pennlive/Patriot-News’  list of the 17 most influential people in Pennsylvania politics and was also named as one of City & State Pennsylvania’s “Fifty Over Fifty.”

    He is a board member and former chair of the National Civil War Museum and is a member of the 2017 National Security Seminar at the United States Army War College. Barr is also the author of a non-fiction book on the American Civil War, ‘A Civil War Captain and His Lady’ – a true ‘Cold Mountain’ from the Northern perspective.

  • George Stark
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    George Stark

    George Stark is the Director of External Affairs for Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation. In this role, George directs external and internal outreach including government affairs, advertising, media relations, corporate social responsibility, and
    communications campaigns. He also oversees efforts in building community relationships and furthering workforce development and natural gas utilization within the industry.

    In addition to his roles on several oil and natural gas industry organizations, George currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains.

    He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Dickinson College and is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh. Prior to Cabot, George worked at Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania/Maryland for 15 years and most recently held the position of Director of External Affairs during his tenure. He lives in Wheeling, West Virginia with his wife and three daughters.

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