With the fast growth of artificial intelligence and the giant data centers that support it and other tech advances, we are looking at a future where we will need more and more energy. Renewable energy sources like wind and solar already can’t cut it to meet our current energy needs. They certainly won’t be able to keep up with our growing energy future.

And, now some communities are going to extreme means to meet those needs. One community in Omaha, Nebraska is considering restarting an old coal power plant. The Energy Security ARC provides this neighborhood that has had some of the worst air pollution in the region with a solution. It is possible with exhaust treatment systems to clean up coal power plants emissions so they meet the same standard as pipeline quality natural gas, like that used on stove tops.

At TEA, we have a plan for our energy future called the Energy Security ARC. And, we’ve been saying that natural gas is the obvious solution to our clean energy needs for some time. Here’s some facts:

• The U.S. is the world leader in lowering carbon emissions, largely because of increased use of natural gas for electricity generation.
• Increased use of natural gas for electricity generation is the top reason for U.S. power sector emissions reductions over the past 17 years—almost double the impact compared to renewables.
• In 2022 alone, the shift to natural gas provided an emissions reduction equivalent to 156 coal-fired power plants operating for a year.
• Switching to natural gas from coal for electricity generation reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 54%.

The Empowerment Alliance (TEA) believes that natural gas is the affordable, reliable and clean energy source that should serve as the benchmark by which all other energy sources are measured. Thankfully, we’ve already got leaders who get it, like Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry who recently signed a proclamation recognizing the Energy Security ARC benefits of natural gas.

American natural gas is the answer to a truly clean future that both meets our energy needs and builds on the success of lowering emissions and protecting our environment. We need more leaders like Gov. Landry that embrace the Energy Security ARC as the path to our energy future.