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America’s Future Powered By Natural Gas

July 10, 2026

Need to know

 

RealClear

Midterm Spotlight

In the Lehigh Valley, the Power Bill is on the Ballot.

Common Sense

ENERGY SHIFT UNDER WAY: For 75 years, petroleum has been the energy source that has powered the US more than any other. That’s about to change.
Natural gas has closed in quickly on oil’s top energy perch, says one industry leader.
Why it matters:
  • By the end of the decade, natural gas will likely surpass oil for the first time after the gap all but disappeared in 2025.
  • This seismic shift will end a chapter that began in 1950, when petroleum ended the longstanding reign of another fossil fuel: coal.
  • The change comes as electric vehicle use and data center development boosts electricity demand from gas-fired power plants, further straining our grid.

“I say we probably cross that threshold within the next couple years, and by 2030, we will have a big lead on petroleum,” Toby Rice, chief executive of a top US gas producer EQT Corp., said in a recent interview with Bloomberg News.

Consider: The Energy Information Administration expects American petroleum demand to rise 0.6% between 2025 and 2027, while gas demand jumps 3.4% over the same period, further shrinking the gap between the leading fuels.
It’s also a relatively inexpensive fuel compared with both renewables and other legacy fuels. We also have a century’s worth beneath our feet.
With these facts in hand, it is a perfect time for ARC Energy Security legislation at the state and federal levels. Louisiana understands this better than any state, having enacted a bill signed by Gov. Jeff Landry in 2025.
The bill prioritizes production of fossil fuels and nuclear power, rather than wind and solar power. Other states, including Ohio, are currently working on similar legislation.
Bottom line: The AI boom demands reliable, dispatchable power. That means America needs more natural gas, clean coal and nuclear energy.

Nonsense

LIMITING CHOICES: A federal appeals court has sided with New York state over its statewide mandate to build all-electric buildings, saying it does not interfere with federal law.
Why it matters: Known as the All-Electric Buildings Act, the legislation was tucked in the state budget in 2023 and would ban new gas hookups in new buildings under seven stories and then the mandate would apply to all other buildings constructed after Jan. 1, 2029.
Once again, a Democratic-controlled state wants to remove consumer choice. Limiting energy choice in pursuit of green-at-any-cost policies raises housing costs, burdens the electric grid and leaves families with fewer affordable options.
Consider:
  • Gas and construction trade groups sued to block the law two years ago, arguing it violates the federal government’s rules around how gas appliances are regulated under the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).
  • The Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that “the challenged laws are not preempted under EPCA.”
  • Building trade groups have strongly opposed this measure, as they have in other states.

New York’s new law bans natural gas and propane equipment in most new buildings up to seven stories tall, requiring electricity to power stoves, furnaces, water heaters and dryers.
Home builders say the state’s electric grid isn’t prepared for the added demand. They warn the mandate will increase construction costs, drive up home prices and further strain affordability. Their request is simple: delay implementation until the grid is capable of supporting it.
Fortunately, the political winds are shifting nationally. Since the Ninth Circuit’s decision in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley three years ago  — and subsequent legal challenges — many states and local governments have become more cautious about pursuing outright natural gas bans.
While New York is the most extreme in restricting natural gas, roughly 25 states have enacted “energy choice” laws protecting consumers’ ability to use natural gas by preventing local governments from banning gas hookups or appliances. Those states include Texas, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Utah and West Virginia.
Bottom line: Consumers — not politicians — should decide how to power their homes.

A look ahead

FERC Open Meeting: On Thursday, July 16, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold an Open Meeting of the Commission.

Quote of the week

“I’m excited to contribute to the [Trump] Administration’s energy priorities and to our nation’s environmental and legal landscape.”
—  Robert Levy, executive counsel at Exxon, upon joining the Justice Department’s newly renamed Energy and Natural Resources Division.