Washington County: Capital of energy and innovation
By Ben Bright March 15, 2020
For over 20 years now, Washington County has benefitted from the growth of the natural gas industry. New companies have moved into our area, local businesses have new customers, new people have located into our towns and new, high wage jobs have been created for our local workers and trade unions. It has also helped our farming families by providing them with royalty monies to help keep their farms in their families. Every area of our county has seen some benefit of this industry, and we have worked with our local and state officials to protect our environment. But what you may be surprised to learn is that this 20-year growth period of the energy industry in Washington County was led by Democrats.
When the first Marcellus Shale well was drilled in Mt. Pleasant Township in 2004, it was the Democrat-led Washington County Board of Commissioners that realized the opportunities in economic and job growth that would follow. Commissioners Larry Maggi and Bracken Burns, and then Maggi and Harlan Shober, created an environment that welcomed the natural gas industry to the county and worked with local officials, both Democrat and Republican, and with the business community to expand its growth countywide. These Democrat commissioners, along with Republican Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughn, and legislative leaders like former State Sen. Tim Solobay, former state Rep. (and current judge) Brandon Neuman, among others, laid the groundwork for the natural gas industry in our county.
This has led to over a decade of growth in the natural gas industry and has brought family-sustaining jobs to our are – which was often at odds with others in the party who did not understand energy’s potential. They provided the leadership for long-term growth and for leading our country’s energy independence from right here in Washington County.
What Democrats did to drive the growth of the energy industry 20 years ago we need to do again. But we need to think long-term about economic stimulus, job creation, and the environmental impact of these industries, and how we will be able to continue the growth that the county has seen over this time. And while natural gas, and even coal, will continue to be a large part of our local economy, we need to think about our county’s future with carbon-based fuels being a complement to our transition to a diverse and sustainable energy economy.
Sustainable energy sources, such as solar, biofuels, wind, and even the possibility of using the Monongahela River for hydroelectric power, should all be part of Washington County’s long-term plan for economic growth and job creation for future generations. We all understand that carbon-based fuels will not last forever and, while they are currently meeting our energy needs, they are not replaceable. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.
Sustainable energy sources are not only naturally replenished, but they are much more environmentally safe than fossil fuels. They also have the potential to provide job creation for generations. Job opportunities in areas like renewable energy, energy storage, energy efficiency, and even advanced vehicles, will all offer our future generations family-sustaining jobs.
If we want Washington County to build on the success we have seen with the natural gas industry, and ensure jobs for our children and their children, we must begin positioning Washington County for long-term growth with both carbon-based and sustainable energy sources being important parts of our future.
Washington County has become well-known for our leadership in energy and we should use that expertise to transform our economy once again into a leader in energy innovation to include wind, solar, hydroelectric, and yes, natural gas. By building on our strengths in energy and developing a diverse, environmentally responsible, energy economy, we will make Washington County’s long-term success sustainable, too.
Ben Bright is chairman of the Washington County Democratic Committee.
