Dauphin News

Rep. Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland) and the House Republican Policy Committee, led by Chairman Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), convened a hearing yesterday to address the impact of energy policies that threaten to eliminate thousands of jobs, leave families without sustainable incomes, and push the energy grid to the brink of failure. The hearing shed light on the bureaucratic hurdles Pennsylvania companies face and the urgent need to defend energy independence and protect the livelihoods of hard-working Pennsylvanians.

The hearing, titled “Opportunity Lost: Bureaucracy’s Battle Against Fracking,” took place at the Hempfield Township Municipal Building and featured testifiers Michael Hillenbrand, CEO and president of Huntley and Huntley; Amy McChesney, owner of McChesney Farms; Randy M. Roadman, government relations director at General Carbide Corporation; and Jeff Nobers, executive director at Pittsburgh Works Together.

"Energy is too important to leave to chance," said Nobers of Pittsburgh Works Together, which recently released the report "The PJM Grid in Peril: What Will Keep the Lights On?" Nobers emphasized the need for an energy policy that ensures reliable and affordable energy. Taking an uninformed leap from fossil fuels to renewables is not strategic or sustainable for the energy grid. "Hoping things work out is not a sound strategy," he concluded.

"This hearing confirmed how excessive bureaucracy and permit delays create higher costs and push job opportunities out of Pennsylvania. Ohio's air blows right across our border, yet major investments bringing jobs, land contracts for farmers, and new energy projects get squeezed to a trickle at the state line," said Nelson. "We can do better; we must do better to maintain high environmental standards and business reliability for our citizens moving forward."

“I want to see a Pennsylvania in which my children can thrive,” said Kail. “We have abundant natural resources that can position us to dominate. Pennsylvania energy can position us as the keystone of industry once again. But with Harrisburg continuously getting in the way, we are paying more, getting less, and hurting the environment in the process.”

To watch the complete hearing, visit Representative Eric Nelson's website.

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