Pa. lawmakers discuss coronavirus during Think About Energy Forum

Officials from the Pennsylvania natural gas industry and lawmakers met virtually Tuesday for their Think About Energy forum. Both sides shared concerns the coronavirus could negatively impact Pennsylvania's energy sector, but remain optimistic about the natural gas industry.

Pennsylvania Republican Reps. Glenn Thompson, Fred Keller, and Guy Reschenthaler were among the guests on the panel.

Pennsylvania ranks second in the United States in natural gas production, trailing only Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The forum comes just two weeks after oil futures traded in the negative for the first time ever. Industry leaders are urging lawmakers to consider a transportation and infrastructure bill as part of the coronavirus recovery efforts. That is an idea the lawmakers supported during the forum.

They say that could prevent job losses and actually create growth in the commonwealth.

"Our Pennsylvania energy was a huge part of the great American comeback, and it will be a huge part of this second edition – post-COVID-19 – great American comeback," said Thompson.

The two sides discussed how the pandemic is impacting the supply chain domestically and internationally, and what Congress is doing to prevent a downturn in Pennsylvania's natural gas industry.