An industry-backed study shows that drilling for Marcellus shale natural gas in Pennsylvania and West Virginia could generate $1 billion a year in taxes and indirectly support 100,000 jobs during the next decade as investments filter through the local economy.

The American Petroleum Institute, which paid for the study, said Wednesday that the findings underscore the industry’s enthusiasm for the gas pocket that runs a mile beneath Appalachia. State lawmakers, they said, could slow that potential growth by imposing a severance tax on the gas, as proposed for Oct. 1.

The study by Timothy Considine of Wyoming’s Natural Resource Economics Inc. says the industry next year could support 72,160 jobs and generate state and local taxes worth $652 million. With modest growth during the decade, it could employ 101,975 people and produce $945 million in tax collections.

Learn more about these projected opportunities.

Two summers ago, State College Area School District staff members unplugged microwave ovens, computer monitors and other electrical appliances that weren’t being used.

They saved about $30,000 that year — enough to pay about half the salaries and benefits of a first-year teacher. The next year, the district saved $40,000.

“Please work with the Physical Plant staff, Computer Services staff and Food Service staff in your building to help find items that can be unplugged,” physical plant director Ed Poprik wrote in a memo to employees this spring. “The classic example of summer waste would be a refrigerator that runs all summer to keep a few condiments fresh. A list of other possible items is below. Every building is different and in order to be effective, this type of program requires close coordination.”

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Pennsylvania is strategically located to reap a windfall associated with Marcellus Shale. But any mineral extraction strategy must be buffeted by balanced and sensible environmental stewardship and sane revenue strategies for the commonwealth.

Natural gas is not the magic bullet to cure all of our fiscal woes – probably not all of our energy woes, either. We need to avoid putting all of our eggs into the Marcellus Shale basket.

We know what happens when coal companies abandon mines. And Pennsylvania rate payers remain at significant financial exposure as our five nuclear stations continue to store thousands of tons of nuclear waste with no forwarding address (the infamous Yucca Mountain looks doomed).

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If you’ve ever replaced a major appliance like a refrigerator or freezer, then you know getting rid of the old one can sometimes be harder than buying the new one, especially because of environmental concerns.

“These old refrigerators have freon in them. They have toxic materials in the foaming around the insulation,” Joseph Vallarian, of Duquesne Light, said.

Duquesne Light, First Energy and Allegheny Power say their refrigerator program will make it a lot easier.

Find out more about this program.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown was optimistic Tuesday after he attended a bipartisan meeting led by President Barack Obama that focused on efforts to pass clean energy legislation and to outline priorities for energy independence and clean energy manufacturing jobs.

About two dozen people, including key U.S. Senate leaders from both parties, were in attendance at the White House meeting, said Brown, who discussed the meeting during a conference call with statewide and national media.

“There was broad agreement that the U.S. must transform our energy system,” Brown said. “The stakes couldn’t be higher — done right, a clean energy bill will be a jobs bill. It will prevent us from replacing our dependence on foreign oil with a dependence on Chinese-made clean energy components.”

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A national energy plan might be on hold as the Obama administration struggles to deal with oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from the damaged Deepwater Horizon rig, but that need not keep home and business owners from becoming more energy wise.

Education, energy, efficiency and economy will be the topics of the second annual Northeast PA Energy Solutions Expo, going on this weekend.

The event is presented by Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council and Encana Oil and Gas, Inc., with the goal of informing attendees about different ways to conserve energy and save money.

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(Mechanicsburg) — A midstate-based renewable energy company is considering building a new plant on a portion of the former Bethlehem Steel property in Dauphin County. Enginuity Energy LLC is focusing on the Arcelor Mittal property in Steelton and two other sites in the state as a possible home to a biomass energy facility. Vice President Rich Madeira says biomass energy does not use crops or materials specifically grown for fuel. He says it’s created using living things that have recently died.

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A $2.7 million federal grant will be used to create a job-training program to prepare 250 disadvantaged Fayette County residents to work in so-called “green” jobs.

The money is part of $150 million in federal stimulus funds awarded to 38 agencies nationwide through its Pathways out of Poverty program, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Fayette’s program will be administered through the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc.

The money is to be used to train people for jobs in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy. In Fayette, those fields will include the windmill, solar, and geothermal heating and cooling industries, among others, according to Sean Sypolt, project manager.

Training will be provided through Fayette area businesses and educational institutions, including Penn State Fayette, said Tim Yurcisin, president and CEO of PIC Westmoreland/Fayette.

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