WHEELING, W. Va. (WTRF) - The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new report highlighting the potential of an ethane storage hub in the Tri-State area.
According to the report, Appalachia has enough regional resources for a hub and could actually be a competitive advantage for the U.S.
In fact, officials say if this area were an independent country, it would be the third-largest natural gas producer in the world.
7News caught up with U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito about her thoughts on the report.
She said she's excited about the news.
"This will really help with drawing private investment and with creative partnerships. We've been studying this for a long time. We're moving forward with it. I think this is just one more affirmation that doing this right will not disrupt what's going on in Texas. It won't compete. This will create another hub of excellence that I think will create a lot of economic activity," Capito said.
Officials believe the storage hub would enhance the geographic diversity of the petrochemical industry.
In simple terms, the potential hub hope would help support economic security in the U.S.