Inside the
Industry
Energy & Manufacturing
JENNIFER JETT PREZKOP
For West Virginia’ s energy and manufacturing industries, the last few years have proven to be quite the roller coaster ride. From the impacts of an overreaching Environmental Protection Agency( EPA) to a volatile market, coal and natural gas have felt the effects of both national policy and global supply and demand. Manufacturing companies, downstream from the fossil fuels that drive their production, have faced stagnation driven from higher material costs and steeper competition.
Optimism is rising for all three in West Virginia, though. With new administrations in both Charleston and Washington and the promises of extracting more coal, building pipelines to move the state’ s abundance of natural gas to market and putting America’ s manufacturers back to work, these industries in the Mountain State are hopeful the tide has turned.
For our annual energy and manufacturing issue, we spoke with the executive directors of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association and Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia, Inc.( IOGAWV) and the presidents of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association( WVMA) and West Virginia Coal Association with the goal of capturing a reading on these vital West Virginia industries, as well as an inside look at what they believe the future holds for them and the Mountain State.
Anne Blankenship
Executive Director, West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association
WVE: Give us a brief update on your industry.
AB: It is truly an exciting time for the oil and gas industry, particularly in West Virginia. We are on the cusp of the shale revolution, advancing new technologies that will allow for the development of this natural resource that our state holds in abundance. The impacts of developing this resource are astounding, providing thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic impact. Although oil and natural gas prices have been low recently, production continues to increase in West Virginia, which is attributable to continuous advancements in technology that allow us to drill and produce more efficiently.
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE