Dear Governor Shapiro and Honorable Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly,
We write on behalf of Pennsylvania’s leading business and industry associations, to collectively encourage you to work in a bipartisan manner to facilitate creative, productive public policy that ensures a robust and reliable energy supply to our Commonwealth’s businesses and families. We were encouraged to note the absence of any calls for new taxes or tax increases in the recent budget address. This signals an acknowledgment by the administration of the crucial role Pennsylvania’s energy industry plays in the state’s broader economic landscape.
Pennsylvania is a global energy leader that is home to abundant natural resources, industry thought leaders, and cutting-edge innovators, all of which have positioned the Commonwealth as the top energy exporting state in the country, according to a 2023 PA Independent Fiscal Office report. This coveted status not only represents family-sustaining job opportunities and economic growth in our communities, but it also represents a solemn responsibility to help power and sustain the quality of life for our neighboring states, the nation, and the world.
As Pennsylvanians, we are proud of our centuries-long legacy of energy leadership and how we have leveraged our natural resources and geographic advantages. At the same time, we understand, and urge you to recognize, that sustaining and strengthening our global position in the energy ecosystem will require smart public policy and continued, robust, and creative partnership between industry and government.
Through bipartisan cooperation, we have the opportunity to develop and advance policies, such as permitting reform, that promote domestic energy production and its use in legacy and emerging industries. This will help foster a dynamic marketplace with greater opportunities for our citizens, many of whom have departed for other states that encourage more consistent business-friendly policies. Pennsylvania is too rich in resources and people to continue to decline in population.
By working together, we can create a more prosperous and inclusive economy while combating inflation and improving our national energy security.
The Commonwealth’s energy success story is still being written and we all have an opportunity and responsibility to ensure current and future chapters in this story are defined by themes of innovation, global leadership, and economic growth.
We sincerely appreciate your desire to serve and hope you will continue to view us as a resource as you make key public policy decisions impacting Pennsylvania employers and residents.
Sincerely,
American Petroleum Institute – Pennsylvania
Associated Pennsylvania Constructors
Consumer Energy Alliance
Keystone Contractors Association
Manufacturer & Business Association
Marcellus Shale Coalition
National Federation of Independent Business
Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association
Pennsylvania Builders Association
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council
Pennsylvania Forest Products Association
Pennsylvania State Grange
Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association
Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association
Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association
Pennsylvania Septage Management Association