Natural Gas Is the Greenest Energy Currently Available “Off the Shelf” at Present Level of Efficient Technologies
By
David Callahan
July
05, 2021 -- As we celebrate the 4th of July holiday, America’s
national security should be front of mind. As such, the energy freedoms that
are made possible by domestic natural gas development deserve to be recognized
and celebrated this Independence Day weekend.
Energy
security has been a national priority for generations, and was brought to the
forefront of policy discussions during the energy
crises of the 1970s. Two years ago, thanks to the continued
success of shale development, America
achieved that elusive national security goal when the U.S. became a net energy exporter for the first time since the
mid-1950s.
It’s an achievement celebrated broadly,
with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm telling members of
Congress during her confirmation hearing that “hydraulic fracturing and
horizontal drilling…have certainly contributed to the nation’s energy
security.”
The widespread adoption of these
American-born technologies has enabled the U.S. to become the world’s largest
natural gas and oil producer while also reducing energy sector emissions faster
than any other nation.
Compared to peak 2005 levels,
Pennsylvania power sector CO2 emissions have declined 41 percent, and state data shows sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxide
levels plummeted 93 percent and 81 percent, respectively, as more natural
gas-fired generation came online during that time frame. This leads to
significantly fewer respiratory illnesses, which often disproportionately
affect children and senior citizens.
While these energy development successes
are being realized in the U.S., energy poverty still burdens many countries
across the world. America has the opportunity – and responsibility – to take a
leadership role in reducing global energy poverty and help less fortunate
nations find a new pathway towards energy abundance and economic growth while
also reducing emissions.
Clean, American-produced natural gas is
capable of meeting the ever-growing global energy demand, with the natural gas
produced here being done so under the most rigorous environmental standards.
Furthermore, according to the International
Energy Agency’s methane tracker, the U.S. has among the lowest methane
emission intensity of all natural gas and oil producing nations.
Domestically, methane intensity
associated with Appalachian production is by far the lowest of the top nine
hydrocarbon-producing basins in the U.S., a joint report by
the Clean Air Task Force and Ceres found.
This environmental integrity holds true
among other air emissions, such as CO2, where Appalachia is also associated
with the lowest emission intensity, according to a recent Rystad Energy analysis, bringing the basin “to the top
quartile among all oil and gas fields globally,” senior Rystad analyst Emily
McClain said.
With the overwhelming environmental
benefits associated with U.S.-produced energy, it’s no surprise the global
demand for American natural
gas reached record levels last year and is on track to keep growing as
new technology and efficiency practices come underway.
But using our domestic resources for
global climate progress hinges on our ability to build new energy
infrastructure and pass inclusive energy policies that recognize the many
benefits of this critical resource for the environment and the economy.
Policies that ignore natural gas’ long
and short-term benefits threaten the energy security America worked so hard to
achieve. Moreover, impeding domestic energy production would eliminate all
means of economic and energy security, while forcing consumers to rely on
energy imports from countries who lack the same industry-leading environmental
oversight and regulatory framework.
As we celebrate Independence Day, let’s
not forget that energy security is national security, driven by the men and
women of the natural gas industry innovating and working in overdrive to meet
clean energy and economic development goals worldwide.
[David Callahan is president of the
Pittsburgh-based Marcellus Shale Coalition. To learn more, visit marcelluscoalition.org.]
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