Natural gas keeps the lights on, heats homes and fuels local jobs across the Philadelphia region. That message was front and center during last week’s hearing of the Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee, where testimony underscored how essential this resource is to southeastern Pennsylvania’s energy reliability, affordability and economy.

“The bottom line is that natural gas is essential to the very quality of our life. It is the basic feedstock for everything we touch and use today through natural gas liquids,” said Jim Welty, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

And as demand continues to rise, that essential role is only growing.

“Americans are utilizing and needing more power than they have in the past,” said Todd Snitchler of the Electric Power Supply Association on the Labor and Energy Show. “We are going to need additional resources, and that means new generating resources. If we don’t have sufficient resources, then you jeopardize reliability. This is not an option.”

In other words, as demand continues to grow – driven by everything from economic growth to artificial intelligence – reliable power isn’t just a luxury, it’s a necessity. And natural gas continues to deliver exactly that.

Reliable, Always-On Power

Pennsylvania already plays a central role in meeting that need. Natural gas currently provides ~60% of the state’s electricity, but the Commonwealth has the potential to do even more.

“We produce about 7.4 trillion cubic feet of gas a year out of Pennsylvania,” noted Jim Welty. “That’s enough gas to heat about 115 million homes for an entire year.”

In an energy landscape that’s constantly shifting, this kind of stable, always-available resource gives Pennsylvania, and the region, a major advantage.

Cleaner Environment

The benefits don’t stop at reliability. Natural gas has also been a key driver of environmental progress. Since 2005, the increased use of natural gas has helped to significantly reduce harmful emissions.

“We have seen carbon dioxide emissions fall 47% in that same time frame that we have seen natural gas generation grow. Similarly, there are pollutants that cause asthma such as NOx and SOx that have declined 93% and 98% respectively,” Welty shared.

These aren’t abstract facts – they represent real public health gains, with cleaner air, fewer respiratory problems and estimated health benefits totaling nearly a trillion dollars.

“We are reducing emissions as a company. That’s because of the money that we are spending to make our customers more energy efficient,” shared Melanie McCottry, chief of staff at Philadelphia Gas Works, highlighting how company investments are also resulting in lower emissions and higher savings.

Economic Growth

Natural gas doesn’t just power homes and businesses. It powers opportunity. As Welty noted, Pennsylvania’s shale industry supports about 123,000 jobs with an average annual wage of $97,000. These opportunities are in our communities and accessible to workers of all education levels that offer meaningful, stable work while allowing Pennsylvanians to stay in their hometowns and support their families.

The economic impact of natural gas doesn’t stop at jobs in the field. There’s growing bipartisan support for a new LNG export facility in southeastern Pennsylvania – one that could deliver clean energy to our allies abroad and bring investment and jobs home.

“We have a huge opportunity to provide our allies abroad with LNG. It’s cleaner and it will get to them faster. It’s a huge advantage for this region to be able to do that, it’s something that we need to implement as soon as possible. We need to capitalize on this and move forward as quickly as possible to ensure our own natural security and our allies abroad,” shared Representative Martina White.

And from an infrastructure standpoint, the project is well within reach. “In our region, we have the infrastructure in place. It’s not like there would miles and miles of pipelines leading to this. The infrastructure is already in place,” said Jim Snell, Business Manager at Steamfitters Local 420.

Pennsylvania has everything it needs to lead: abundant resources, world-class workers and access to major ports. By continuing to develop infrastructure and expand production, the Commonwealth can anchor a more secure and prosperous future. Natural gas doesn’t just power homes and businesses – it powers the future.