Getting gas may be the best hope for Appalachia’s future as demand for coal declines. And the developer of a proposed underground storage facility for valuable natural-gas liquids and intermediates has been invited to submit a part II application for a $1.9-billion loan guarantee from the Dept. of Energy.
Construction of the Appalachia Storage & Trading Hub is expected to catalyze the creation of petrochemical investments with a value the American Chemistry Council estimates at $36 billion.