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Every August, thousands of young athletes and their families arrive in Williamsport for the Little League World Series. Families and fans gather to cheer on young players whose dreams have brought them to one of the biggest stages in youth sports. But few of us stop to think about the energy that it takes to get there and make those moments possible.
Long before the teams take the field, oil and gas are already part of the game.
Oil and natural gas play a role in nearly every aspect of the game - from the petroleum-based materials used in baseballs, helmets and cleats to the energy that powers the synthetic turf, scoreboards and stadium lights. Natural gas is also a primary raw material used to manufacture fertilizers that maintain natural grass outfields, as well as the synthetic components used in artificial turf.
The same oil and natural gas that help make the Little League World Series possible also heat and cool homes, power hospitals, fuel manufacturing and provide the building blocks for countless products we use every day. They are woven into the fabric of modern life.
Here in Pennsylvania, abundant shale gas provides both affordable, reliable energy while supporting tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs and generating billions of dollars in economic impacts, including more than $3 billion in impact fee funding for communities across the Commonwealth.
As an increasingly important part of Pennsylvania's power mix, natural gas generates about 60% of the state's electricity. Pennsylvania also produces nearly 20% of the nation's natural gas, making it the second-largest producing state. Natural gas helps keep the lights on at the ballpark and provide electricity to millions of homes across the Keystone State.
As the world watches all the excitement and big moments in Williamsport this summer, American energy is there, behind the scenes, helping to make every inning and every pitch possible. Play ball!
STEPHANIE CATARINO WISSMAN
Executive director, American Petroleum Institute of Pennsylvania
Submitted by email