By MICHAEL LEMLEY
WV News.com
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia customers have collectively saved over $4 billion since the development of Marcellus Shale about ten years ago, according to the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association.
Data from the Energy Information Administration indicates that prices for natural gas have dropped at all levels of use — residential, commercial and industrial, according to Anne Blankenship, executive director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association.
Residential customers have saved around $1.57 billion statewide, and rates have dropped for commercial and industrial energy consumers, whose savings total about $1.38 billion and $1.32 billion, respectively.
“When you look at the trend year by year, you can see that the savings for all West Virginians just keep growing,” said Blankenship. “And, when you add it all up, that number is impressive.”
West Virginia sits atop the second largest gas field in the world, and the amount of natural gas available is considerably more than it can use, Blankenship said.
See more at wvnews.com
