The Public Utility Commission Wednesday posted detailed information about this year’s distribution of Impact Fees on natural gas producers, totaling $187,711,700, on the PUC’s interactive Act 13 website.

Last year, the PUC distributed $223.5 million in Act 13 impact fees, down slighted from the previous year’s all-time high of $225.7 million.

Over the past five years, the PUC has collected and distributed more than $1 billion in Impact Fees to communities across Pennsylvania.

County and municipal governments directly affected by drilling will receive a total of $101,800,020 for the 2015 disbursement year, down from $123.3 million last year and $123.1 million the year before.

Additionally, $67,866,680 will be placed into the Marcellus Legacy Fund, down from $82.2 million last year and $82.1 million the year before.  The Legacy Fund provides financial support for environmental, highway, water and sewer projects, rehabilitation of greenways and other projects throughout the state.

[Note: The application period for these programs closes June 30.]

Also, $18 million will be distributed to state agencies specified by the Act.

The PUC has forwarded the information for payment and expects checks to be mailed prior to July 1, 2016.

This year’s distribution is approximately $35.8 million lower than last year, driven by a reduction in the price of natural gas – which resulted in a $5,000 per well reduction in the fee paid this year, along with the increasing age of many wells, which also reduces the per-well fee.

This decline has resulted in funding changes for many individual municipalities, as detailed on the PUC’s Act 13 site.

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’s responsibility is responsible for implementing the imposition, collection and distribution of an unconventional gas well fee (also called a drilling impact fee) was established by the Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act, signed into law as Act 13 of 2012.

For more information, visit the PUC’s Act 13 Fee webpage.

NewsClips:

Lower Gas Prices, Less Drilling Cut Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees By 16%

AP: Counties See Less Money From Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees

Shale Gas Impact Fees Fall In Last Year

Gas Drilling Impact Fee Revenue Falls To $188 Million

Beaver County, Municipalities Receive $645K In Impact Fees

Greene County Officials Ecstatic Over Act 13 Impact Fee Money

Drilling Slump Dents Westmoreland Municipal Fees

Alle-Kiski Valley To Receive Less Marcellus Impact Fees

6/20/2016