Writer: Eleana Teran
2 min read October 2022 — Over the past two decades, the Pittsburgh region has seen a variety of industries emerge — the majority of which are technology-intensive, energy-related or innovative and are driven by entrepreneurs as well as corporate and academic research and development.
The energy sector is a significant contributor to the diverse economy that makes up the Greater Pittsburgh area. According to a report by the Energy Task Force of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the energy and energy-intensive sectors contributed 24% of the regional GDP and 14% of regional employment in 2019. Those sectors encompass areas such as coal, oil and gas extraction and distribution to power generation and transmission, mining, manufacturing and data storage, among others.
The energy sector is a major source of jobs in Beaver, Greene and Indiana counties. Beaver County is home to a nuclear power plant, while Greene County remains an important source of coal and Indiana County hosts three coal-fired power plants and an additional plant that turns waste coal into electricity.
Washington County accounts for 13% of Pennsylvania’s total oil and gas production value, the second-highest oil and gas extraction revenue in the state. In a recent interview with Invest:, Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan referred to the county as the “Energy Capital of the East.”
“We have over 50 energy-related businesses just in Southpointe Business Park alone,” mentioned Vaughan, who is bullish on the future of the energy sector in the region. “We believe there’s a place for all types of energies to play a role because the goal is energy independence for America, and we all have to work together and be open to new ideas and all initiatives if we’re ever going to obtain that.”
Chris Heck, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, is also working to make Greater Pittsburgh a major player in energy technology and innovation. “The region is working on developing hydrogen-related projects and microgrid technology turning natural gas into electricity fueling our airport. An example of growth and innovation is Neighborhood 91, an additive manufacturing ecosystem that is attracting companies at an accelerated pace here on airport property. These are exciting new areas as we are shifting from a service-oriented economy to a technology and commerce based, world-class center of innovation,” he told Invest:.
As an industry that is known to contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, business and community leaders are continually working toward ways to address sustainability. Invest: spoke with Bob Dagostino, founder and president of Dagostino Electronic Services, where he discussed how ESG goals and related legislation will continue to gain ground and affect how businesses operate.
“Pennsylvania is getting closer to the federal environmental initiatives,” shared Dagostino. “From a code and compliance level, we must understand our carbon footprint, how we consume energy and how to design systems in the most efficient manner.”
The state’s greenhouse gas emissions have declined nearly 19% since 2005, according to the Pennsylvania Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report prepared by the state Department of Environmental Protection. In fact, the governor’s goal of a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions from the 2005 baseline by 2025 has already been exceeded, with fossil fuel-fired power sources emitting 33% less CO2 in 2018 than in 2005.
“There’s constant talk on the environmental side about cleaning up methane release, but natural gas isn’t going away anytime soon. All of the government statistics on the use of natural gas show an upward trend, although solar, wind and hydro have tremendous investments coming in,” Steel Nation’s Founder and CEO Mark Caskey told Invest:. “Many of the plants that we’re building outside of Pittsburgh are modernized. That’s capturing methane, stopping the leaks, upgrading the buildings and making them even quieter and more attractive.”
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