HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) posted detailed information about this year’s distribution of Impact Fees on natural gas producers, totaling $209,557,300, on the PUC’s interactive Act 13 website.
Over the past seven years, the PUC has collected and distributed more than $1.4 billion in Impact Fees to communities across Pennsylvania.
County and municipal governments directly affected by drilling will receive a total of $114,784,380 for the 2017 reporting year.
Additionally, $76,522,900 will be transferred to the Marcellus Legacy Fund, which provides financial support for environmental, highway, water and sewer projects, rehabilitation of greenways and other projects throughout the state.
Also, $18.25 million will be distributed to state agencies, as specified by Act 13.
By county
Of the total, Washington County is set to receive the largest portion, at nearly $7.3 million.
Susquehanna and Bradford counties, in northeastern Pennsylvania bordering New York, will receive $5.9 million and $5 million, respectively.
In western Pennsylvania, Greene County will receive $4.9 million and Butler County, $2.1 million.
Range Resources Appalachia is contributing $31.7 million of the total, and EQT Production Co., $23.1 million.
Other top production companies include SWN Production Company, $15.7 million; Cabot Oil and Gas Corp., $15.4 million; Chesapeake Appalachia, $13.7 million; Repsol Oil and Gas USA, $12.7 million; and Seneca Resources Corp., $12 million.
Payment
The PUC has forwarded the information to the Department of Treasury for payment and expects checks to be distributed in early July.
This year’s distribution is approximately $36 million higher than last year, driven by an increase in the number of wells in Pennsylvania along with an increase in the average annual price of natural gas compared to the previous year.
This has resulted in funding changes for many individual municipalities, as detailed on the PUC’s Act 13 site.
Online
Extensive details regarding the Impact Fee distribution are available online, including specifics on funds collected and distributed for each year since 2011.
Visitors can search and download statistics such as distributions to individual municipalities or counties; allocation and usage of those funds, based on reports submitted by various municipalities; eligible wells per county/municipality; and payments by producers.
The PUC is responsible for implementing the collection and distribution of an unconventional gas well fee (also called an Impact Fee), established by the Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act and signed into law as Act 13 of 2012.
