Observer-Reporter: Region's Potential Promoted
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Just one month after Washington County declared itself as "The Energy Capital of the East," a Pennsylvania congressman visited the site of the announcement on Wednesday to proclaim the region as the country's energy capital.
An Energy Expo at Southpointe designed to show the breadth of energy-related businesses in Western Pennsylvania drew hundreds of people and nearly 90 exhibiting companies.
The event, hosted by U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, filled the main ballroom, breezeway and several smaller rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe.
Murphy told the crowd that he wants the event to become an annual one that promotes the region as the nation's energy capital. He noted that in addition to the area's abundance of coal, natural gas as well as numerous wind and solar manufacturing, it also has significant energy research projects being conducted at Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, West Virginia and Penn State universities and by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Lab in Library.
His remarks in the Hilton's main ballroom were made at the exact location where on May 7, Washington County Energy Partners, a group of local businesses, politicians and economic development groups declared the county to be the Energy Capital of the East.
The area has always been energy-rich, Murphy noted.
"When Andrew Carnegie and others put steel here, it wasn't because of iron ore; it was because of the energy we have here," he said.
He added that for years, particularly in the aftermath of the collapse of the steel industry, people sought to emulate other parts of the country that they viewed to be successful and prosperous.
"Why can't we be like Atlanta, why can't we be Hollywood on the Mon," Murphy recalled hearing over the years. "We can't be Atlanta, and while we can make some movies here, we can't be Hollywood.
"But we can be the hub of the nation's demand for energy. It's absolutely incredible what this region has to offer," he said, noting that more than 700 companies are involved in the production of energy or serve some part of the energy supply chain.
He noted that while the region currently has an 8.5 percent unemployment rate, the energy sector here continues to add jobs at a steady clip.
While Murphy was instrumental in forming the natural gas caucus in the House last year, he said Wednesday that he also supports clean coal, solar, wind and nuclear energy.
When asked about the status of the BP oil spill, which on Wednesday faced another setback to attempting to quell the outpouring of oil from a platform rig that exploded last month, Murphy said it was imperative to find out what caused the disaster.
"Did someone cut corners, did they break the rules?" Murphy said, adding that whatever answers are reached, they won't mark the end of offshore drilling for oil.
"There are 3,400 wells" in the Gulf of Mexico, he said. But he added that the massive amounts of natural gas being produced here and elsewhere in the United States could be used to fuel fleet vehicles at businesses and in government operations to help stem the dependence on oil.
Later Wednesday, Murphy was to visit Shearer Heating Cooling & Refrigeration in South Franklin Township, which in January created a separate division to offer a range of energy audits. Company spokesman Tom Lofiego said Tuesday that the company recently added three installers and a service technician and will soon add 2,400 square feet of space to its building as it sees growing demand from area homeowners who want to make their homes and buildings more energy efficient.
Lofiego noted that Murphy supported the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act recently passed by the House, which provides rebates to consumers who make energy-efficient improvements to homes, including installation of insulation, duct sealing, energy-efficient water heaters and awnings.
By Michael Bradwell[ Back to News ]
