Pennsylvania inks cooperation agreement with West Virginia, Ohio to boost shale gas industry

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania -- Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced Tuesday that the state has entered into a three-year cooperation agreement with West Virginia and Ohio to collaborate on areas critical to maximizing economic growth in the shale gas region.

The agreement was unveiled at the Tri-State Shale Summit in Morgantown, W.Va.

As part of the new cooperation agreement, the three neighboring states within the Appalachian basin will discuss ways to cooperate in marketing efforts to attract new businesses, strengthen workforce development programs, spur investments in expanding infrastructure and delivery of natural gas and liquids, and encourage its academic institutions to expand and collaborate on research.

Governor Wolf said, "We must work together to ensure our region has the skilled workforce necessary to fill jobs and attract new employers. The demand for workers by the energy industry and off-shoot industries, especially manufacturing, is high and still growing. Here in Pennsylvania, I have proposed to expand investments in education across the board and especially increase funding for trusted and proven job training and workforce development initiatives."