including its location, which provides access to
40% of U.S. markets and 60% of Canada’s within
a day’s drive; its abundant natural gas resources,
which have made the state No. 2 in natural gas
production; and quality-of-life benefits commensu-
rate with surrounding areas but at less expense.
Pennsylvania’s cost of living is the best ranked
in the Northeast U.S., according to a 2018 CNBC
business climate scorecard.
The commonwealth takes quality of life and the
well-being of its citizens very seriously. “One of our
central beliefs is that community development and
economic development go hand in hand,” says
Pennsylvania native Dennis Davin, secretary of the
Department of Community and Economic Develop-
ment. “One of my favorite things about the state
is our diversity—of our economy, cultural makeup,
topography, and recreational activities,” he says.
“I think our cities stack up against any in the
country as places to visit and live, and our parks,
mountains, lakes, and rivers attract tourists from
all over the world.”
Many businesses agree with Pennsylvania’s convic-
tion that community and economic strength go
together. “Our employees embrace a mission of
bettering people’s lives,” says Morgan O’Brien,
president and CEO of Peoples Natural Gas, Penn-
sylvania’s largest natural gas distribution com-
pany. Peoples offers payment programs to those
who can’t afford its services “[with] empathy and
thoughtfulness,” he says.
Natural gas is a booming industry in Pennsyl-
vania, thanks to the abundant reserves found in
its Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale, which are the
largest in the country and second largest in the
world. The state produces more natural gas than
any other except Texas, and it feeds the state’s
plastics industry, among others. “Having access to
this much energy is a huge economic advantage,”
says O’Brien. “But the real economic value is in
what happens on the end-use side—growing the
advanced manufacturing industry, technology, and
supply chains around them.”
Peoples was the country’s first gas distribution
company, initially intent
on reducing Pittsburgh’s
pollution—and 136
years later, it’s still
committed to clean air.
“We’ve partnered with
CMU and the Environ-
mental Defense Fund to
develop a first-of-its-kind
technology to address
leaks in our system,”
says O’Brien. “Our goal
is to ensure that not
only is our delivery of
this natural resource
safe, but that we are not
impacting the environ-
SPONSORED CONTENT
PENNSYLVANIA
“One of our central beliefs is that community development
and economic development go hand in hand.”
DENNIS DAVIN
SECRETARY, PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT
OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
PEOPLES’ MULTI-
BILLION-DOLLAR
INVESTMENT IN PIPELINE
MODERNIZATION IS
CREATING JOBS AND
REDUCING METHANE
EMISSIONS.
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