Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association President & Executive Director Louis D. D’Amico today issued the following statement regarding Governor Tom Wolf’s executive order to eliminate additional state land from non-impact natural gas leasing:

“This action is extremely unfortunate in that it eliminates land with proven energy reserves from potential natural gas development that would not be impacted in any way during the process of  drilling and completing a well. This decision will eliminate a long-term financial windfall for the Commonwealth that has already returned more than $700 million in the past seven years at a time when Pennsylvania is desperate for new sources of revenue. Finally, the irony of this administration preventing drilling for a resource that they are also seeking to tax cannot be overlooked. This is a lose-lose for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers and energy consumers.”

Read about the governor’s action here. Wolf’s news release and the executive order can be found here.