American natural gas is fundamental to achieving President Biden’s climate, economic and national security goals, leaders from Pennsylvania’s energy, business, labor, and manufacturing sectors wrote in a letter to the White House yesterday.
Highlighting the economic and environmental opportunities achievable through domestic shale development and use, the letter from the Marcellus Shale Coalition, Pa. Chamber of Business and Industry, Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, and Pittsburgh Works Together encouraged the country’s leaders to keep natural gas front-and-center of climate and energy discussions during the White House Climate Summit.
“The workers and local small businesses driving the economy and helping to build America back are essential to a low-carbon future which cannot be achieved without an affordable and reliable source of clean energy. Natural gas is, and should continue to be, the key to our country’s environmental progress,” they wrote.
Just as the shale revolution enabled the country to recover from the Great Recession, the nation’s – and Pennsylvania’s in particular – abundant resources can uplift communities and help strengthen our economy coming out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Over the past decade, America’s natural gas abundance has enabled the U.S. to reduce carbon emissions faster than any other nation in the world and led to a decoupling of emissions from economic growth.
American power generation-related emissions were down 33% from peak 2005 levels in 2019, the EPA’s latest data highlights, and in Pa., state DEP data calculates air pollutants like sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxide levels dropped 93% and 81%, respectively, during that same time frame. These declines occurred as more gas-fired power generation came online across the country.
While advancements are already underway in the U.S., more opportunities – including helping other countries escape energy poverty and successfully decouple emissions as well – are on the horizon so long as the market is able to function as intended.
As the President meets with world leaders to discuss efforts to combat climate change, increasing American liquefied natural gas exports to our allies should be of top priority.
For domestic progress, a clean and resilient power grid with natural gas and renewable energy sources working as partners is the only way to affordably and reliably meet the President’s goals of a carbon-free electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050, the letter states.
“I don’t see how the United States could meet this ambitious goal or any ambitious goal without natural gas, underpinning the economy and underpinning the electrical grid,” MSC’s Callahan said during a press call about the letter yesterday.
Policies dismissive of natural gas’ long and short-term benefits jeopardize energy security and disproportionally force consumers to pay more for their energy needs. Even more, ceasing domestic energy production would mean importing more natural gas from other countries who lack the same environmental standards and regulatory oversight as American producers.
“The only way to capitalize on our energy abundance, and corresponding environmental progress, is through a robust infrastructure network that supports good-paying jobs in the skilled trades and broader market participation,” the leaders wrote.
Investing in new interstate pipelines and building expansion projects using skilled labor forces in Appalachia will be key to delivering our clean energy to areas across the country that need it most. Even more, constructing export terminals like proposed facilities in New Jersey and Philadelphia (often built by the skilled building trades) is critical to shipping liquefied natural gas internationally.
“Natural gas is a win-win-win – for the environment, the economy, and American workers,” Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO Dave Taylor said.
