West Virginia Senators Push for Appalachian Natural Gas Hub

Two West Virginia senators want to build a major natural gas storage and distribution hub in the region.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s U.S. senators are urging federal officials to consider building a major natural gas storage and distribution hub in the Appalachian region.

In a letter Thursday to National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, the senators say the White House should examine “the numerous benefits” of putting a world-class natural gas liquid-storage and distribution hub in the region with growing but still underutilized reserves of underground natural gas.

Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito cite an American Chemistry Council study that an Appalachian hub could attract $36 billion in new chemical and plastics industry investment and create 100,000 new jobs.

They write that building a hub and related infrastructure “will attract sorely needed economic activity to this underserved part of the country.”