Voters Believe Natural Gas is Key to Moving America Towards a Cleaner Energy Future
Climate change is possibly the biggest challenge facing our generation. The U.S. has set ambitious goals to reach net-zero emissions, and the conversation around how we reach those goals continues among policy elites, thought leaders, and American voters.
While there are many perspectives on the pathways to net-zero, voters agree that natural gas is critical to achieving a cleaner energy future. In a recent poll, 84 percent of voters say natural gas should continue playing a role in reducing emissions, and 70 percent agree that natural gas is a clean energy source. They aren’t wrong.
Homes that use natural gas for heating, cooking, and clothes drying emit 22 percent less carbon dioxide than all-electric homes, and an Energy Star natural gas household could have a carbon footprint that is 19 percent lower than an Energy Star heat pump and 64 percent lower compared to an electrical resistance furnace.
And, much of the natural gas we use is produced in the United States. More than 92 percent of the natural gas used in America is produced in America, and 83 percent of voters agree that natural gas is an important part of the American economy. The U.S. has 3,368 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas resources, enough fuel for more than 100 years. The abundant supply creates nationwide energy security and reduces our dependence on imported fuel while keeping costs affordable for the 187 million Americans who use natural gas every day.
Voters want climate change solutions that balance affordability and reliability. As severe weather events often strain other energy sources, particularly in certain regions of the country, natural gas customers only rarely experience an unplanned outage – in fact, unplanned outages affect only 1 in 800 customers per year. Reliable, affordable, and helps reduce emissions. Natural gas is a homerun.
Achieving net-zero emissions is not an easy task, but the U.S. has many options for achieving significant emission reductions. In a recently released report, AGA provided a comprehensive analysis of natural gas utility pathways that include tactics like accelerating the use of tools available today, including high-efficiency natural gas applications, renewable gases, and methane reduction technologies and energy efficiency initiatives. With more than seven out of 10 voters supporting clean energy solutions that use existing energy infrastructure, we can lean into that opportunity and leverage the unique advantages of gas technologies.
Policy support is essential to incentivize demand, fund innovation, and deploy new technologies. But by including natural gas, advanced fuels and our world-class infrastructure, together we can meet our greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals.
Click here to read the full polling results.