PRESS RELEASE – Severance Tax Would Hobble Energy Production in Pennsylvania

PIOGA:  Seven Years and Counting – Severance Tax Would Hobble Energy Production in Pennsylvania

WEXFORD, Pa  (Feb. 3) – Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association President & Executive Director Daniel J. Weaver today issued the following statement regarding Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget and the inclusion of a proposed severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas producers:

“Gov. Wolf’s attempt to once again masquerade a job-killing severance tax as a post-COVID economic relief program is a proposal that will not generate significant revenue for the Commonwealth, while taking singular aim at a segment of the state’s economy struggling with low commodity prices and infrastructure bottlenecks impacting markets to the east and north.

“The triple threat of these challenges, the pandemic and a severance tax would continue the steady decline of our industry and the tax revenue the governor is hoping for, as evidenced by the 25 percent drop in impact fees this year. The governor also recently said that, ‘Pennsylvanians, unlike pretty much every other state including some very conservative states in the country, have not really taken advantage of that wealth.’  That is simply untrue.  Mineral rights owners have very much taken advantage of that wealth, as did the Commonwealth, when it leased state land and collected tens of millions of dollars in lease bonuses and royalty payments from the natural resources owned collectively by all Pennsylvanians, including significant leasing by Gov. Ed Rendell.  The fact is that Gov. Wolf is the one who has prevented all Pennsylvanians from taking full advantage of Pennsylvania’s wealth of public natural resources.”

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2021-02-05T18:42:03-05:00
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