The Ohio State Grange recently released a study entitled “Natural Gas Pipeline Infrastructure and Its Impact on Michigan and Ohio Agriculture” examining the positive impacts of natural gas pipelines construction to the agricultural sector in the Midwest, specifically in Ohio and Michigan where shale gas development is becoming increasingly important.
The researchers highlighted that “high costs, including high energy prices, and a lack of energy options for many rural areas are a genuine problem for agricultural producers” while observing that development of natural gas from shale formations could be greatly beneficial to the agricultural sector for controlling production costs. In comparison with other fossil fuels, natural gas can be used to generate electricity at a lower cost. They noted that low natural gas prices will benefit the agricultural sector provided there is adequate transportation pipelines in the rural areas.
The researchers pointed out that “completion of proposed pipeline projects in the Midwest, such as the Rover pipeline, would especially benefit local areas . . . this makes it the most likely means of alleviating constraints on energy in Michigan and Ohio in the near future.”
Further information on the Rover pipeline is available at http://www.roverpipelinefacts.com/.
Written by Chloe Marie - Research Fellow