Indiana Looks to Join the Natural Gas is Green Club

February 21st, 2025

• Stay up to date on all things energy by visiting the TEA Newsroom.
• America needs Affordable, Reliable, Clean energy security.
• Trump admin delays Biden-era appliance efficiency rules.
• Republicans covet EPA money they rail against.
• The European energy industry urges no gas cap.
• SEC rule suspension early gift for oil and gas supporters.
• Clean-energy program fueled by Biden takes deep staff cuts.
• NY Gov. Hochul does an apparent about-face on natural gas.
• EPA gives West Virginia OK for carbon underground storage.
• DOE cancels more than $124 million in wasteful spending.

The issue: The flurry of energy-related news coming out of Washington the past week is cause for celebration.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order formally creating a National Energy Dominance Council and directed it to move quickly to drive up domestic oil and gas production even further.

Why it matters: Toward that end, implementing the ARC Energy Security Act and using natural gas as the clean standard are imperative. These should serve as the foundation, along with TEA’s Common Sense Energy agenda, and the roadmap for President Trump’s team. This will ensure the long-term energy dominance that we desire.

Consider: U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued the Trump administration’s first export authorization for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, part of a broader push to promote fossil fuel development and reverse the Biden administration’s promotion of renewables. This move makes the U.S. a reliable energy supplier to the world, thus making us more energy dominant.

More good news as Trump has directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to undo Biden’s ban on future offshore oil drilling on the East and West coasts.

• We would urge them to further embrace “Build, Baby, Build” for nuclear, as well as building new oil refineries and natural gas pipelines and infrastructure.
• Bureaucracy, regulation and red tape are the enemies of American Energy Security.
• The burdensome federal permitting process needs to be simplified.

The energy team also supports consumer choice and affordability in home appliances. That means, thankfully, no more attempts to ban your gas stoves or draconian edicts about which air conditioners hard working Americans may purchase.

The spirit of innovation and American ingenuity always delivers, as we continually seek ways to be better stewards of planet Earth’s resources.

Bottom line: Trump’s new National Energy Dominance Council will help achieve affordable, reliable, clean energy security that creates economic prosperity for all.

The issue: At the state level, a positive development came out of the nation’s heartland. Indiana Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo, should be commended for Senate Bill 178 that would redefine natural gas as “clean” and “green energy.”

Why it matters: The bill passed committee Feb. 13 and is waiting for a vote on the Senate floor. We expect passage relatively soon.

Classifying natural gas as clean energy would open energy projects that use this hydrocarbon to potential additional federal and state funding. But, more importantly, it opens the door to abundant and affordable energy that will lower monthly bills for consumers.

Consider:

• Sen. Buck said he fashioned his bill after an Ohio law that similarly defined natural gas as clean energy, as well as model legislation put forth by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
• Ohio was the first state to pass legislation recognizing this as law. Gov. DeWine signed the measure Jan. 6, 2023, and Tennessee followed suit a few months later with a similar measure.
• TEA, since its inception 5 and 1/2 years ago, has advocated to recognize that natural gas is a green fuel source.

The Indiana measure introduced by Sen. Buck to declare natural gas as green energy should become state law. Lowering emission standards will continue to happen as more states’ lawmakers recognize the importance of clean natural gas in the energy mix.

We encourage legislators in other states to examine what Ohio, Tennessee and Indiana have done. Adopting a Natural Gas is Green law will lead to a clean, green, energy future.

With a Bit of Nonsense

So maybe it’s time to stop wrongfully bashing natural gas as a “dirty fossil fuel” as some media outlets are wont to do. It burns cleaner and has fewer emissions than other fuels, but that seldom is reported.

That’s because they’re too busy touting their favorite renewable projects — costly and ineffective wind turbines and solar panels. Utterly predictable, however, given the anti-fossil fuels narrative that most reporters subscribe to in blind faith.

Despite those leanings, we proudly proclaim this basic truth and one the media hates to report: Carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation have declined 61% due to increased use of natural gas.

Bottom line: Natural gas is the primary source of American electricity generation and emissions reductions. While climate activists mislabel it as “dirty”, Indiana is acknowledging its environmental and economic superlatives.

Hearing On Biden Spending: On Wednesday, February 26, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will have a hearing “Examining the Biden Administration’s Energy and Environment Spending Push.”

Hearing On Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: On Wednesday, February 26, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will have a hearing to examine Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act implementation and case studies.

Hearing On Energy Reliability: On Wednesday, February 26, the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs will have a hearing called “Leading the Charge: Opportunities to Strengthen America’s Energy Reliability.”

“President Trump’s goal was: we’re going to bring back common sense. So what’s the plan? Drill, baby, drill and build, baby, build!”

— Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, in a speech at CPAC.