HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 96

(By Delegates Ireland, R. Smith, McCuskey, Zatezalo, D. Evans)

[February 29, 2016]

Requesting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) expedite the approval of six interstate natural gas pipeline projects in West Virginia.

Whereas, the United States has benefited from the vast natural resources produced in West Virginia for more than 150 years, and;

Whereas, horizontal drilling in the Marcellus and Utica Shales has made West Virginia and the Appalachian Basin the most prolific producer of natural gas, accounting for eighty-five percent of our nation’s daily production, and;

Whereas, more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs are provided or supported by the natural gas industry statewide with an average annual salary in excess of $40,000 annually, and;

Whereas, the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the production of natural gas and oil was in excess of $3.9 billion dollars in 2014, with less than five percent of the known shale reserves permitted, West Virginia is blessed with hundreds of years of natural gas reserves, and;

Whereas, the need to build natural gas pipeline infrastructure to new or underserved markets in the Northeast, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the country can now become a reality, and;

Whereas, six interstate natural gas pipeline projects are currently proposed for construction and will transport our abundant gas resources to market, and;

Whereas, the following pipeline projects are critical to West Virginia:  Rover Pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline, WB Xpress Pipeline, Leach Xpress Pipeline, Mountaineer Xpress Pipeline, Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Supply Header Pipeline projects, and;

Whereas, building these proposed natural gas pipelines in West Virginia equates to $5.7 billion in capital investment, more than 18,000 new construction jobs and $61 million in property taxes during construction, and;

Whereas, a recent statewide survey conducted by the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association (WVONGA) found that more than seventy-five percent of West Virginia respondents support the construction of natural gas pipelines, and;

Whereas, the FERC has primary jurisdiction over United States interstate natural gas pipeline projects and will make the final decision regarding project approval; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the West Virginia House of Delegates, hereby requests that the FERC, expedite the approval of these six interstate natural gas pipeline projects in West Virginia with speed so as to maximize West Virginia’s natural gas resources, create thousands of good-paying jobs for West Virginia citizens, provide needed tax revenues to pay for government services and reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.