Pennsylvania natural gas production grew 5.4 percent from 2016 to 2017, generating over 5.3 billion cubic feet of the clean-burning, abundant resource last year, according to a new report from the state’s Independent Fiscal Office.

As we continue to safely and responsibly produce more domestic natural gas, Pennsylvania is making big and important environmental gains, families are realizing significant energy savings and the United States is stronger and safer geopolitically.

Here are three recent examples that confirm the widespread benefits of increased natural gas production:

Consumer Energy Savings

UGI Penn Natural Gas recently announced that it expects its customers – families and small businesses – will pay less to stay warm come winter thanks to the abundant and local supply of natural gas.

“While other home heating fuels have experienced price increases, clean, abundant, locally-produced natural gas continues to see stable prices that benefit our residential customers and offer a competitive advantage for Pennsylvania businesses.”

Clean Air Progress

Natural gas-fired power plants generated 31 percent of our nation’s electricity in 2017, the federal Energy Information Administration reported this week.

“By the end of 2018, natural gas combined-cycle units may … become the most prevalent technology for generating electricity in the United States.”

As UPI reports, “because of the increased use of natural gas, carbon dioxide emissions from the U.S. power sector were at their lowest in 30 years.”

Brookings: “U.S. Gas to China: Positive Energy for Bilateral Relations”

According to a new Brookings report, “the United States has increased its natural gas production by 35 percent over the last decade. The technology has had huge impact.”

In 2017, U.S. LNG export capacity reached 20 billion cubic meter (bcm), 2.9 bcm exported to China, accounting for 6 percent of China’s total LNG imports.

By the end of 2019, the annual U.S. LNG export capacity is expected to reach 99 bcm, with additional projects totaling 53 bcm capacity being in the process of FERC approval…

The International Energy Agency predicts that China’s natural gas production would only reach 255 bcm by 2030, which means that at least 395 bcm, or 61 percent of the total projected demand, will have to be met by imports, likely meaning that demand for U.S. LNG will only increase in the years to come.

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