Governor Wolf’s renewed proposal to additionally tax Pennsylvania energy production in response to pandemic
is “self-defeating and stupid.”
Harrisburg, January 28, 2021 – Governor Wolf renewed his proposal for a new, additional tax on energy production in Pennsylvania. The following quotes can be attributed to David N. Taylor, President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association:
“Governor Wolf’s proposal for a new, additional tax on Pennsylvania energy production threatens our commonwealth’s business competitiveness and America’s role as a global energy leader. The best way for state government to get more revenue out of the natural gas industry is to help it grow. The industrial dynamism that will be fueled by gas development will be bigger than the drilling activity itself.”
“Manufacturers rely on natural gas and natural gas liquids as a fuel source and as feed stock. All modern manufacturing that comprises all the products we use every day – plastic, rubber, Styrofoam, paints, glazes, coatings, solvents, and adhesives – have their foundational footprint in natural gas or a related natural gas liquid. Natural gas is also the primary feed stock for medical equipment and supplies being used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as it’s used to produce hypodermic needles, respirators, and personal protective equipment needed by our frontline workers.”
“Just as coal and steel and the railroads were the great multiplier in the early 1900s, natural gas and natural gas liquids present that same opportunity in Pennsylvania today. Manufacturers locate near affordable and reliable fuel sources, and in locations where these feed stocks are readily available; bringing unbound economic opportunity with them.”
“Pennsylvania is second only to Texas in total natural gas production, and our contribution to the nation’s energy portfolio has made America number one in the world. A new, additional tax on energy production weakens the geopolitical positioning of the United States and undermines American industrial strength.”
“Governor Wolf’s COVID-19 economic shutdown orders were stricter, lengthier, and damaged more businesses than in any other state. Proposing a new, additional tax on a vital industrial input at a time when manufacturers are only beginning to recover and are assisting with pandemic response efforts is self-defeating and stupid.”