PUC Announces All-Time Record Impact Fee Collections 

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has announced that it collected $279 million in natural gas impact fees for calendar year 2022, which will be distributed in early July. This is a 19% increase over the prior year. Counties and municipalities directly affected by drilling will receive $157 million of these funds. To find your township’s distribution, click here and choose “Reports,” and then “County and Municipality Disbursement,” and finally “2022” from the drop-down menu.    

This year’s distribution is over $44 million higher than last year, driven primarily by the average price of natural gas in 2022 ($6.64 per MMBtu) versus the average price in 2021 ($3.84 per MMBtu) which generated a higher impact fee payment for each well in 2022 – along with the addition of 574 new wells during 2022. At the 2022 natural gas prices, the impact fee is at the highest possible level based on Act 13 of 2012. This is the highest total fee ever collected in one year. Click here for the press release.