PA Chamber Director of Government Affairs Neal Lesher participated in a roundtable conversation hosted by Building America’s Future last Friday to discuss the importance of domestic energy production and the key role that Pennsylvania plays in the global energy economy.

Other panelists included U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO David Taylor, American Petroleum Institute (Pennsylvania) Executive Director Stephanie Catarino Wissman, UGI Energy Services Vice President of Government Affairs Pam Witmer, and Pennsylvania State Senator Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster).

During the event, Lesher spoke about the need to harness Pennsylvania’s energy production while improving on other aspects of our business climate so that Pennsylvania can compete on the world stage. Lesher also discussed the pressing need for new energy infrastructure, including pipelines and additional liquified natural gas (LNG) facilities, to unleash fuel production in Pennsylvania.

Panelists discussed the negative effects of President Joe Biden’s moratorium on new LNG exports, noting that 70 percent of current exports are sent to the United States’ allies in Europe as part of the strategy to displace Russian gas amidst the war in Ukraine.

They also discussed how the rise of natural gas production in the Commonwealth has resulted in significant environmental benefits. Pennsylvania has reduced its carbon emissions from power generation by nearly 44 percent since 2005 – far surpassing any other power-producing state in the nation, while at the same time remaining a net exporter of electricity.

To watch a rebroadcast of this event, please click here.