Category Archives: Marcellus Shale
Posted in Employees | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas by Jillian Ibbs (Marketing) on November 28, 2012
Karl Matz, PE
Director – Energy Group
At Larson Design Group, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset. In this feature, we profile some of the staff members who contribute to our success. This month the spotlight is on Karl Matz, PE, Director of our Energy Group.
Where did your career take you before joining LDG?
After getting married, my wife and I moved out to Colorado, where I worked for three years with a consulting firm that specialized in land development. The farthest away this job took me was to Germany. I worked on a vacuum sewer collection system, and the manufacturer flew the design team (and their wives) to their corporate offices and into the field to look at the vacuum stations and collection system construction projects. That was a truly enjoyable trip. Lots of good beer and sightseeing mixed in with German engineering design and construction.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Current Events | Innovative Solutions | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas by Aron Lantz, PE (Innovation Engineer) on June 22, 2012
Pennsylvania sits atop an abundant supply of natural gas that, according to a study from Penn State University, could be producing more than 17 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2020. The safe and responsible development of this abundant resource can power our transportation sector for generations to come with a cleaner, more affordable source of fuel.
Last week, I participated in an event at Penn State Lehigh Valley titled, “Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs): The Road Ahead in Pennsylvania” that discussed policies to encourage infrastructure development for greater use of natural gas for transportation. This Penn State Extension-sponsored forum showcased how natural gas vehicles can benefit Pennsylvanians. Various experts on NGVs and natural gas vehicle fueling stations discussed the technical and economic aspects of NGVs and supporting infrastructure.
For fleets who consume large quantities of fuel, NGVs are a smart economic alternative. With gas prices remaining unpredictable, the greater use of vehicles powered by natural gas would provide substantial savings for fleets. One recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration found natural gas currently costs 42 percent less on average than traditional gasoline, and is expected to cost 50 percent less than traditional fuels by 2035.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Blogging | Communities | Current Events | Economic Development | Energy Conservation | Initiatives | Innovative Solutions | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas by Jillian Ibbs (Marketing) on April 17, 2012
Larson Design Group (LDG) is currently designing a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in conjunction with the City of Williamsport. The station will be located at the River Valley Transit (RVT) garage on West Third Street in Williamsport and will be open to the public.
Why Natural Gas?
The price of CNG fluctuates between a half and a third of the price of gasoline. Maintenance costs for natural gas-powered vehicles (NGVs) are equal to or less than those of gas or diesel. Combined with government grants, significant savings can be an expected result of CNG-powered fleets. In fact, RVT has already received a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a $400,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Protection to help fund both the fueling station and the purchase of four CNG buses. RVT expects an annual savings of over $400,000 once the natural gas station is completed.
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Posted in Communities | Current Events | Economic Development | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas | Politics | Transportation by Marty Muggleton (VP Client Development & Marketing) on March 22, 2012
Marcellus related media items have made for good discussion as I visited with townships and counties in the region over the last several weeks. It wasn’t so much the quantity that was different but the sources.
I am a graduate of Cornell University, much to my mother’s relief and surprise, and was glad to see a brief overview of the opposing research that exists relative to the environmental impact of fracing and other sources of energy. After offering many comments on this topic in online discussions, I get a headache whenever I hear or read “peer reviewed”. So here is a nice item in The Cornell Daily Sun by Bob Hackett entitled Two Cents: To Frack or Not to Frack. It brings some powerful research folks together for Q&A, so you can consider both sides.
Last month the National Review stopped by TerrAqua Resource Management’s facility in Williamsport for a tour and chat. Author Kevin D. Williamson was on an extended tour of Marcellus operations and wanted some insight on water recycling. Kevin’s article entitled The Truth about Facking offers some good points while pushing a couple of hot buttons. I read the National Review, well actually I read my father-in-law’s National Review. I found his treatment of the industry to be fair and I liked how he described my views. Simple and clear. I have gotten some interesting and useful phone calls and emails from across the nation as a result.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Communities | Current Events | Economic Development | Leadership | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas | Politics | Transportation by Marty Muggleton (VP Client Development & Marketing) on October 17, 2011
T. Boone Pickens during a roundtable discussion at Williamsport, PA’s Community Arts Center
I’ve met some notable folks. Former Presidents, pro ball players, cultural icons, radicals, and rich people to name a few categories. I found them to be similar to most of the successful folks I know well. Each of these folks admitted to a bit of extra luck in their life. They each could tell a version of “in the right spot at the right time” story.
There was a consistency to these people that I find interesting and admirable. In some form, each was a leader with a relentless commitment to a vision. The vision was built on a series of objectives and that is where most of the luck occurred. But none the less they agreed to take risk, not get scared, and not give up. That is what I admire.
I and about a thousand other people got a dose of leadership at the Community Arts Center on September 30th. Boone Pickens has his “plan”. But that night he spoke of his vision to make our country better, told us the objectives needed to make this change, and what role citizens play in this.
Citizens have to start thinking about energy. Get your family, friends, business, and vendors thinking about energy. How do you use it? Where does it come from? Who do you give your energy money to? How can you use less energy? If you don’t want to use less energy, what sources of energy will you embrace? Wind, solar, natural gas, coal, nuclear sources are the portfolio. What is your choice? Hard to choose if you don’t give it some thought.
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