Issues

Preserving & Protecting the Environment

Natural gas is the cleanest of fossil fuels and can be used in many ways to help reduce the emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. Between 1970 and 2017, the combined emissions of the 6 major criteria pollutants dropped by 73%. Burning natural gas in the place of other fossil fuels emits fewer harmful pollutants, and an increased reliance on natural gas can potentially reduce the emission of many of these most harmful pollutants.

Natural gas can help to mitigate some of these environmental issues, including greenhouse gas emissions, pollution from transportation, industrial and electric generation emission, as well as smog and acid rain.

The U.S. is enjoying its best air quality in the last half century or longer, thanks to natural gas and technological advancements in emissions reduction.

Creating Better, Higher-Paying Jobs

The United States now produces nearly all of the natural gas that it uses and production in 2017 was the second-highest level recorded. Natural gas is produced from onshore and offshore natural gas and oil wells and coal beds, creating higher-paying jobs for Americans right here at home.

States such as Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Ohio accounted for 65% of our dry natural gas production in 2017, and, with the right support, we can continue to provide economic opportunities for these proud American workers.

Natural gas production supports 3 million jobs in the U.S. and for each direct job, the industry supports another 2.7 indirect jobs.

Safeguarding the Economic Interests of American Consumers

Because of the sudden abundance of energy sources like natural gas, the outlook of the U.S. economy continues to grow. A rapidly increasing supply of natural gas means lower prices for everyday products such as fuel, electricity, fertilizer, and much more.

Between 2008 and 2017, the energy trade deficit shrunk by $368 billion thanks to the shale revolution. By 2040, U.S. households are projected to save $100 billion thanks to the surging availability of natural gas.

As we continue to grow at home and abroad, natural gas will help Americans sustain and meet the needs of that growth.

78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck; 59 million households live on $1,900 per month. Natural gas means lower costs to consumers, more buying power for consumers, and a more prosperous American economy.

Eliminating Threats to Our National Security

By producing more natural gas, the United States moves closer and closer to complete energy independence. We are approaching record-breaking production on American soil, allowing natural gas to account for almost one-third of all of our electricity generation.

This means elected leaders are less and less impeded to foreign energy and have the freedom to conduct foreign policy in a way that better advances the interests of our country and our allies.

Additionally, as we pursue independent energy production, we open up more avenues by which we can expand our economy, create better jobs, and continue protecting our environment.

America is now a leading producer of natural gas and is on track to be a net energy exporter – keeping us safe and feeding our economy.