Over the years we have discussed the need for infrastructure to position the Commonwealth for the future at length here on Well Said. Without it, the true power of the Marcellus and Utica shale production will be stunted and the potential billions of dollars of investments which could be spent right here on top of the billions already invested.
Why?
Because the cost of energy is a huge factor when it comes to manufacturing (and the rest of our economy). Think about the necessity of a steady supply of feedstock from natural gas liquids (NGLs) to facilities like Shell’s ethane cracker and then the supply chain after that point which makes a wide array of products from the plastics created there. Plus you have natural gas providing more electric generation capacity than any other source in addition to heating homes and businesses. Put simply, infrastructure is necessary to keep our standard of living and to plan for the future.
And we’re not just talking pipes in the ground.
We also recognize the need for human infrastructure to take advantage of these opportunities: education. Whether it be through programs like Opportunities in Energy with Junior Achievement, scholarship dollars to career and technology center students as they pursue their education or the MOLU visiting 3,000 students this March, we see the importance making sure the future generation knows about the career options they have as well.
George Stark recently sat down with the folks at WBRE to discuss Cabot’s involvement in educational programs and to explain why education is one of our major areas of focus in the community.
