With infrastructure and permitting, the US can meet energy demands at home and abroad

The world has reached a critical inflection point. We need to rapidly lower global carbon emissions while providing secure energy for our European allies who are contending with the effects of the Ukraine War. The good news is that the US has the necessary resources to meet both crises by exporting cleaner liquid natural gas (LNG).

The bad news is that while US resources are plentiful, the country cannot export as much liquid natural gas (LNG) as needed because of inadequate infrastructure to support overseas shipments. However, a solution on the horizon is being debated in Washington right now.

The Potential for Growing LNG Exports

US natural gas production has been surging for nearly two decades thanks to technological advances, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracking, and increasing demand for a cheaper fuel that is much cleaner than burning coal. Over that period, the US has achieved a historical 17% decline in US greenhouse gas emissions by switching from coal to natural gas while providing unprecedented cost savings for consumers.

Conversely, the Ukraine war has recently set our European allies back from meeting their climate goals as Russia cut off natural gas supplies, and their coal use has surged. To help the EU get back on track, the Partnership to Address Global Emissions (PAGE) recently met with European leaders to discuss solutions to fast-track the replacement of coal with lower-emitting US natural gas and help provide energy security to the continent.

As Ambassador Richard Morningstar, Founding Chairman of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, puts it, "The administration needs to clearly articulate the role of responsibly produced gas as an enabler of the green transition and its long-term importance in global decarbonization and energy security efforts. "

What is Holding the US Back?

The root of the problem is a need for sufficient infrastructure capacity to maximize our resources and meet consumers' energy needs. Ultimately, the US must prioritize expanding natural gas infrastructure, pipelines, and export terminals to help ensure more affordable, reliable, and low-methane gas production and delivery.

Currently, the US natural gas pipeline network stretches across approximately 3 million miles of terrain, and as of 2021, it delivers about 27.6 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas to about 77.7 million consumers. This amount efficiently supplies consumers with natural gas, and pipelines are also the safest interstate transportation method compared to other delivery modes such as rail, barge, and truck.

Unfortunately, this pipeline network cannot adequately support today's demand for natural gas.

Between 2010 and 2022, demand for US natural gas increased by 56%. By comparison, US pipeline capacity has grown by just 27%, while our capacity to store LNG has risen by only 12%.

To make matters worse, the US is seeing its smallest interstate natural gas pipeline capacity increase in over two decades. In 2022, there was an increase of just 897 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), as opposed to 2017, which experienced a record increase of 28,040 MMCf/d.

Without infrastructure development, we cannot export enough LNG to our allies to replace coal and methane-heavy gas usage from countries like Russia. Our inability to provide a cleaner energy alternative to heavy-emitting regions means a critical need exists to stabilize the energy crisis.

We saw the consequences of this in Europe last year, where countries increased coal production and imported more Russian LNG to meet their energy needs. This matter perpetuated both global energy insecurity and climate change.

Improving and Redeveloping Our Infrastructure

Fortunately, there are clear steps the US can take to grow our current infrastructure and ultimately boost LNG exports. As a first step, we must expand East Coast infrastructure specifically. Appalachia is home to some of North America's most prolific and low-cost gas resources.

A more significant investment into this region can dramatically help reduce consumer prices and make natural gas a more reliable and affordable energy source.

In addition, we need to build more pipelines that strategically access historically undersupplied demand centers. We saw a need for this in 2018, when a "bomb cyclone" caused US prices to soar due to insufficient gas supply, requiring the importation of Russian LNG. We could have resolved this matter at much less cost through greater access to Appalachia rather than notoriously methane-leaky Russian gas.

By improving and redeveloping our natural gas infrastructure, we can ensure that we can provide more affordable, reliable, and cleaner gas to our allies and here at home for generations to come.

We Need Washington to Act

While there are investments the natural gas industry can make, the truth is that we also need policymakers in Washington to back permitting reform so we can turn this vision into reality. Energy projects can take years to receive approval, and endless lawsuits further delay and sometimes halt critical pipeline development.

The lack of access to a stable energy source is causing our allies to revert to coal and methane-heavy gas, making it virtually impossible to achieve our global climate goals. It's in Congress' hands – providing a pathway for cleaner fuel sources, like low-emissions natural gas, in place of dirtier forms of energy will help address the climate crisis and restore energy security.

US Natural Gas: A Perfect Fit for Europe’s Energy and Climate Goals

The European Union (EU) has played a crucial role in reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Between 1990 and 2019, the EU reduced its emissions by 24%, including a 3.7% decline from 2018 to 2019 alone. However, the recent rise in the use of coal, spurred by Russia cutting off gas supplies, has made the EU’s future climate targets virtually impossible to achieve in the near term.

INLAND CONSUMPTION OF BROWN COAL BY EU COUNTRIES

To help the EU get back on track, the Partnership to Address Global Emissions (PAGE) recently met with European leaders to discuss solutions to fast-track the replacement of coal with lower-emitting US natural gas and help provide energy security to the continent.

PAGE members have also met with US policymakers to spur the support needed to bring this climate and energy solution to our allies. The climate crisis extends beyond US borders, and it’s our responsibility to take the actions necessary to address emissions at home and abroad.

"While there is a clear desire by EU officials to replace dirty Russian gas, the main challenge has been mobilizing the necessary political will in the US to enable further natural gas exports."

PAGE’s Role in Europe

PAGE is dedicated to lowering global emissions by exporting the climate solution that led the US to dramatically reduce CO2 by replacing foreign coal with affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy. We represent every part of the LNG value chain, producing and moving over 70% of US natural gas. And, with more pipeline capacity, we have access to immense additional gas resources that could help the US safely deliver up to 100 BCM annually to Europe, while keeping prices low at home.

Through PAGE’s work to educate EU policymakers, the coalition has learned that there is high demand for the cleanest possible LNG in Europe to create energy security and reliability. The US’s supply of LNG is far less methane intensive than leaky and environmentally hazardous Russian gas, and European officials are encouraged by the measures PAGE members have taken toward methane abatement and carbon capture innovation. These actions will only enhance natural gas’ role as a long-term climate solution.

But while there is a clear desire by EU officials to replace dirty Russian gas, the main challenge has been mobilizing the necessary political will in the US to enable further natural gas exports. Therefore, it is essential that US policymakers come to terms with Europe’s predicament and the role US LNG can play in helping our allies survive a devastating energy crisis.

EU Climate Commitments and Fit for 55

The EU’s climate strategy is based on the European Climate Law, which aims to reduce the EU’s GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030 to help the continent achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The EU enacted an ambitious piece of legislation known as Fit for 55 to reach this climate goal. It is a series of revised and updated laws that better direct how European countries can reduce their emissions in line with the 2030 target.

But the EU’s path towards achieving the Fit for 55 thresholds has been compromised by a rise in coal use due to Russia cutting off the continent’s main gas supply. Europe’s dependence on coal has only worsened as prices across other gas markets surged due to low supply.

To help revive Europe’s energy security, the US exported an average of 10.6 billion cubic feet per day of cleaner, reliable, and more affordable LNG. These exports were crucial last winter when energy demand was exceptionally high. But with another 40 BCM of gas needed to supply Europe this coming winter alone, we will need to significantly increase our exports to help the EU get back on track toward its ambitious climate commitments.

The Next Step is for Washington to Take Action

We need leaders in Washington to work with their European counterparts to assist in their efforts to reliably decarbonize global energy. Under the status quo, our allies will be stranded in the energy transition, creating conditions for the continued use of coal to meet human energy and industrial needs. The US can lead the world in exporting climate and energy solutions by adopting bipartisan policies, like permitting reform, to help unleash our vast resources of low-methane intensive natural gas.

Partnership to Address Global Emissions Adds New Members Coterra Energy and NET Power

Today, the Partnership to Address Global Emissions (PAGE), a nonpartisan coalition of responsible energy companies, labor unions and leading climate advocates working to promote policies that reduce emissions by replacing global coal with U.S. natural gas, announced the addition of Coterra Energy and NET Power to its growing list of members.

Coterra Energy, a diversified energy company with U.S. natural gas assets in the Permian Basin, Marcellus Shale and Anadarko Basin, and NET Power, a clean energy technology company with a proprietary process that uses natural gas to generate electricity while capturing nearly all emissions, are joining PAGE to support its four main objectives:

Replace foreign coal with a reliable, abundant supply of cleaner U.S. natural gas
Improve global energy security and stability by providing a reliable source of energy to our allies
Help countries meet their emissions reduction targets set out in the Paris Climate Accords
Increase the supply of energy to reduce energy prices and expedite the transition to renewables

“NET Power transforms natural gas into one of the cleanest forms of power in the world,” said NET Power CEO, Danny Rice. “We are excited to work with our partners at PAGE to advocate for natural gas’ ability to sustainably power global energy systems.”

“Coterra is committed to responsible development of our assets and views emissions mitigation as a top engineering priority.” said Coterra CEO, Thomas E. Jorden. “We embrace innovation, technology and data to deliver our products safely and cleanly. Natural gas is an important natural resource, and we are joining PAGE to encourage policymakers to realize its global decarbonization potential.”

PAGE’s membership now represents the full natural gas value chain, with members aligned on decarbonized natural gas from extraction to combustion. Since PAGE’s launch in October of 2022, our members, alongside our Advisory Council of climate experts, have collaborated on advancing policies to bring this climate solution to the world. To see a full list of members, visit the about us section of the website.

To learn more about PAGE, visit Partnership to Address Global Emissions.

U.S. must double LNG exports to cut emissions, reduce global coal use

The continued reliance on burning coal to produce energy is undeniably the greatest obstacle to reaching our shared goals for reducing global emissions. With the dependence on coal reaching an all-time high in 2022, rapidly replacing it with cleaner fuel is the front line in the fight against climate change.

The U.S. has provided a model over the past 15 years for reducing emissions by replacing coal with much lower-carbon natural gas. Now, the question is whether that model can be exported to the rest of the world in time to cut emissions and stave off the worst effects of climate change.

While critics of natural gas defer to renewables as the only viable emissions solution, the truth is that the current state of battery storage and transmission infrastructure poses real obstacles to the buildout of renewables. Meanwhile, more power is generated globally with coal than any other fuel source. This persistence of coal, and its resulting emissions, will only continue if we adopt a renewables-or-bust approach.

But we can drastically slash emissions right now if we replace the dirtiest coal-fired power plants worldwide with natural gas. Gas burns far cleaner than coal and is more reliable than renewables, making it the best option to simultaneously achieve energy security, reliability, and emissions reductions. In fact, global power sector emissions would be reduced by 30% if the world’s top 5% worst emitting power plants switched to natural gas. Those emissions savings would increase to nearly 50% if that switch incorporated carbon capture and storage.

Federal policymakers in the U.S. could hold the keys to unleashing the LNG revolution we need. If policies were put in place to allow for increased natural gas production - while working to reduce its carbon footprint further - we could export the U.S.-made solution to lowering greenhouse gas emissions right away.

Global power sector emissions would be reduced by 30% if the world’s top 5% worst emitting power plants switched to natural gas. Those emissions savings would increase to nearly 50% if that switch incorporated carbon capture and storage.

The Environmental Benefits of Phasing Out Coal With LNG

The U.S. has already demonstrated the climate benefits of natural gas, with 65% of all power generation emission reductions over the past 15 years driven by coal-to-gas-switching. By replicating this solution worldwide through expanding U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, we can make the most significant dent in global emissions the world has ever seen.

Paul Bledsoe, a strategic advisor for the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), says, "Coal to LNG switching provides net GHG reductions, usually between 40-50%, meaning the extent of global emissions reductions from coal displacement will be in part determined by how much U.S. LNG reaches overseas coal-using nations."

Exporting American Gas to the World

The U.S. became the world's largest LNG exporter in 2022. Spurred by the war in Ukraine, American gas helped stabilize Europe's economy after Russia cut off the continent's primary energy supply. The environmental benefits of these exports were tremendous – not only did they help limit coal growth in Europe, but they also reduced the use of high-methane-leaking Russian gas.

But exporting American gas to Europe is just one part of the solution, as coal usage is more widespread in other markets. China, which had previously been on a path to phase out coal, accounts for 50% of today's global coal demand and 1/3 of total consumption, while India's coal use has more thandoubled since 2007.

Doubling LNG Exports and Increasing Domestic Production

According to a study published by PPI, the U.S. will need to double its LNG exports by 2028 to coal-dependent countries to encourage coal-to-gas switching. Doing this also requires increasing domestic production by at least 10% to keep prices low.

The solution is on our doorstep – the U.S. has the supply, but political will for new policies, such as comprehensive permitting reform, is needed to accelerate the development of domestic infrastructure required for increased LNG exports. By enacting policies that encourage the production and export of natural gas, the U.S. can become a global leader in energy security and decarbonization.

Rise in global coal threatens to undermine emissions reductions, setback progress toward ‘Paris’ goals

Seven years ago, world leaders came together at COP21 and put forth the boldest climate commitment to date, limiting an increase in global average temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Today, the global community is still far from achieving the ambitious goals of the Paris Climate Accords.

The most significant obstacle to meeting the Paris goals remains the continued use of coal for baseload energy generation in many parts of the world.

According to Hoesung Lee, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), not only is a 1.5°C increase inevitable if current consumption and production patterns continue, but it “will be seen sometime in this decade.”

The most significant obstacle to meeting the Paris goals remains the continued use of coal for baseload energy generation in many parts of the world. Shockingly, global coal consumption reached an all-time high in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

According to Global Energy Monitor, the world needs to close coal power plants at almost five times the current rate and stop building new ones to meet the Paris climate goals.

Recent Turmoil Revives Use of Coal

Today, China accounts for over half of global coal demand, and its power sector alone accounts for one-third of the world’s coal consumption. The problem is only worsening, with China on track to emit the most coal-fired power emissions in history in 2023.

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Europe is relying increasingly on coal, reopening previously decommissioned coal-fired power plants. European coal generation increased in 2022, and just ten coal power plants are responsible for 13% of the continent’s total emissions.

Contrast the global story with the U.S., which has led the world in emissions reductions since 2005, and the path forward becomes clear: replace coal with lower-carbon natural gas.

Success in the U.S. Offers Model for Abroad

Natural gas emits half the CO2 as coal for the same power output, meaning coal-to-gas switching is an efficient way to reduce emissions while maintaining baseload power generation. In the U.S., the switch from coal to natural gas was responsible for nearly one-fifth of total emissions savings from 2010-2018, with the remaining reductions mainly attributable to structural economic changes, energy efficiency, and renewables.

But reducing emissions in the U.S. alone will not be enough to offset rising GHG emissions due to the increasing use of global coal. The world requires U.S. leadership to reverse this trend, and luckily, we have a proven model to export internationally.

The only things standing in the way of exporting this climate solution is generating the political will and a streamlined approval process for new energy infrastructure.

To get the world back on track, the U.S. must export more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to help other countries phase out coal so that the global community can meet its commitments - and help save the planet.

Historic 17% decline in US greenhouse gas emissions would not have been possible without natural gas

The U.S. has been a global leader in lowering its greenhouse gas emissions for the past two decades. According to the EPA, U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2021 were 17 percent below the 2005 level. While this statistic represents a remarkable national achievement, the factors that drove this historic reduction are poorly understood.

Many people mistakenly believe that the rapid growth of renewable energy sources - a noteworthy success story in its own right - is responsible for the decline in emissions. However, while renewables played an important role, we must recognize that the sheer scale of this decrease would not have been possible without natural gas.

Source: United States Department of Energy Report to the President - January 2021

Natural Gas Was The Primary Driver to Lowering Emissions

The fact is that natural gas has been the key to lowering overall emissions in the U.S. since 2005. In total, 65% of all U.S. power generation emissions reductions from 2005-2019 were driven by switching from coal to gas. By contrast, renewables only accounted for roughly 30% during this period.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said natural gas “can play an important role as part of the clean energy transition” and that “pipeline and transmission capacity is critical to maintaining energy reliability, availability, and security.

Natural gas's reliability, availability, and low-carbon footprint have made it the ideal replacement for much dirtier coal as our underlying baseload fuel source. That is because natural gas is a very efficient energy source, producing the same power as coal while emitting 50% less CO₂.

Our expanding use of natural gas has advanced our clean energy goals and is helping ensure we can provide a stable and secure energy supply to the American people. This understanding led the U.S. Department of Energy to say in 2021 that "natural gas, which is quickly dispatchable, provides reliable, baseload power, serving as an important partner in continued renewable energy expansion."

Global Emissions Remain Stubbornly High

Unfortunately, the rest of the world is lagging in the energy transition. Due to global supply constraints and geopolitical instability, other large countries are failing to give up coal and reap the emissions reductions of natural gas. As a result, global coal consumption reached an all-time high in 2022.

While we have the model to reduce emissions, we need to adopt policies that allow us to lead the clean energy transition and bring this solution to the rest of the world. Without a plan to shift the world's energy away from coal, our contributions at home will fail to make a dent in a global crisis.

PAGE | Natural Allies CERAWeek Panel Discussion

Former Secretaries Ernest Moniz, Dan Brouillette, former Senator Mary Landrieu, and former Representative Tim Ryan emphasize the essential role that natural gas plays in the effort to simultaneously improve energy security and reduce emissions.