Natural gas drilling has the potential to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and taxable income for West Virginia. And like most facets associated with natural gas drilling, pipeline construction benefits the West Virginia economy. Pipeline operations could lead to more jobs in West Virginia, and the new infrastructure will help make more natural gas available for regional use.
But these benefits reach far beyond fueling the economy. Pipelines facilitate a vital public need by helping to transport natural gas to end users for residential use in home heating, electric power generation plants, compressed natural gas vehicles (CNGs) and perhaps most importantly, ensuring U.S. energy security.