2022 was a record-breaking year for natural gas production in the United States, with the Appalachian Basin remaining the “undisputed king of U.S. natural gas production.”
Leading the regional charge is Pennsylvania, which has gone from producing just 25% of its own natural gas needs to become the second-largest producing state in the nation, responsible for over 20% of the nation’s production. This is key to advancing America’s energy, economic and environmental goals while also strengthening our nation’s security through strategic assistance to our allies in Europe and beyond. In short, abundant, affordable, and domestic energy production is good for the consumer, good for our economy and good for our shared environment.
“The energy macro landscape remains volatile as the world continues to grapple with a structural under supply of natural gas. Thanks to American-sourced LNG, Europe has done a commendable job refilling its storage over the past few months,” EQT Corp. CEO Toby Rice said.
The worldwide need for this fuel is evident with record amounts of American LNG being exported to countries across the globe. The U.S. is poised to regain its ranking as the top exporter of natural gas this year, infusing our economy with billions of dollars while supporting tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs. That’s because not only is natural gas the most reliable and versatile fuel source, but natural gas safely produced in the U.S. carries a ~65% lower methane intensity rate compared that of Russia’s, from which –a number of countries previously sourced their natural gas.
At Shale Insight 2022, we heard from Chesapeake Energy’s CEO Nick Dell’Osso who said the natural gas and oil industry has a responsibility to the world to help people get out of energy poverty and to better lives.
“We have the ability to do that, we have the ability to do that uniquely from the United States, and we have the ability to do that even more uniquely from Pennsylvania,” Dell’Osso said.
And as Chad Zamarin of Williams Energy said at a committee hearing in Philadelphia last year, “Pennsylvania remains the most economic supply base. We produce the cleanest natural gas and we as a country need to treasure and take advantage of that.”
Leading the largest natural gas producing region in the country, and with the strongest environmental profile, Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry stands ready to deliver more affordable, cleaner, and reliable energy to the world while also increasing access for consumers here at home.
“America is the world’s largest producer and exporter of natural gas, with the Appalachian Basin alone representing the third largest producing region in the world, positioning our industry to assist our strategic trading partners and meet our own energy demands,” Marcellus Shale Coalition president Dave Callahan told reporters.
Despite these significant milestones and an undeniable need for the essential fuel, some still advocate that we keep this strategic resource in the ground. As Pennsylvania enters a new era of government leadership, it is critical that policymakers understand the importance of and advocate for pro-growth policies that encourage domestic energy production, along with the consumer benefits, jobs, national security implications and environmental progress that accompanies this production.
