Sweeney Center study: Greater Paulsboro Energy generates $814M in economic output

Look at the industrial waterfront along the Delaware River in South Jersey. Seven major fuel and terminal businesses, known together as the Greater Paulsboro Energy Companies, generate $814,000,000 in economic output every single year. That group includes the Paulsboro Refining Company, ExxonMobil Lubes Plant, and Energy Transfer Eagle Point Terminal. Together, they account for nearly one third of the combined economy across Paulsboro, Greenwich Township, and West Deptford. A new study by the Steve Sweeney Center for Public Policy at Rowan University puts hard numbers to the footprint. The facilities support 2,855 jobs, including 295 full-time workers and 290 daily contractors at the Paulsboro refinery alone. Most workers carry union cards, bringing home high wages and strong benefits that support families across the county. Those operations produce $265,900,000 in labor income. Beyond wages, the facilities contribute $107,100,000 in total taxes, including $22,600,000 in direct local property taxes that fund public schools and emergency services in the three host municipalities. That local tax share amounts to 17.5 percent of the total property tax base in those towns. Companies also poured $53,800,000 into capital projects like terminal upgrades and site redevelopment. "This refinery has anchored the local economy for more than a century," said Michael Capone, General Manager of Paulsboro Refining Company. When heavy industry runs right next door, local municipalities do not have to chase every dollar for the school budget.