Mary Landrieu: Natural gas, renewables are vital partners in reducing emissions - NOLA.com

Mary Landrieu: Natural gas vital in reducing emissions | Opinions and Editorials | nola.com

The country’s largest renewable power association convenes in New Orleans this week to celebrate tremendous progress in reducing carbon emissions and incorporating more wind and solar power into our electric grid. It’s also an important opportunity to recognize that natural gas, working alongside renewables, is a strong partner in this achievement. While the Energy Information Administration credits the transition to renewables for a nearly 40% drop in U.S. carbon emissions, coal-to-natural gas conversions are leading the way at 60%.

While we've made impressive progress in reducing emissions, we’re running out of time to meet the global climate challenge. American natural gas is the perfect partner with renewables — including low-carbon energy producers like nuclear and hydro — to accomplish this goal, but we urgently need leadership from all points of view to find a practical way forward on climate, reliability, security and affordability issues.

Jason Grumet, the CEO of American Clean Power Association, the largest organization representing the renewable industry, is one such leader. Grumet has been refreshingly honest about bringing all sides together on issues like permitting reform, which is vital to achieving a low-carbon future. We must modernize the process for renewables and natural gas alike, recognizing that “we need it all” — wires for renewable energy, and pipes to move natural gas.

The Biden administration took a major step forward last month when Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm endorsed the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline and acknowledged the important role of natural gas infrastructure in shaping America's clean energy future.

In addition to reducing greenhouse gases, expanding U.S. natural gas production helps our allies cut their climate-damaging coal dependency — and strengthens our economy here at home.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden’s former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese stated that America’s ability to quickly mobilize natural gas shipments to backstop our European allies in the face of Vladimir Putin’s aggression may be the “most important and under-appreciated fact of 2022.”

U.S. liquefied natural gas companies, many based right here in the Gulf region, provided 50% of Europe’s natural gas last year — a 141% increase over 2021. Their efforts helped avert an economic and humanitarian crisis, caused Putin’s strategy to backfire, and completely reshaped the global energy marketplace to our benefit.

Those companies, their thousands of employees, and massive ships moving LNG from places like Sabine Pass and Cameron Parish in Louisiana, significantly increased global security. And they continue to power industries here at home, including fertilizer and petrochemical production as well as steel and cement manufacturing — all essential to a strong manufacturing base.

LNG expansion projects in Plaquemines Parish and across the Gulf Coast will allow our region to remain a leader in the global transition from climate-damaging coal to a climate-friendly partnership between low-carbon natural gas and carbon-free alternatives like wind, solar, nuclear and hydroelectric power.

Best of all, U.S. natural gas is getting cleaner — particularly in curbing methane — which gives domestic producers a unique advantage in the global marketplace. Some have established independent certification of responsibly-sourced natural gas; others have invested in satellite technology to identify and eliminate leaks; and many are working with third-party organizations like the United Nations and OneFuture to build greater trust among responsible partners in the climate fight.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards understands the important role natural gas plays working with renewables as part of our energy reliability, affordability and decarbonization strategy. Multiple carbon capture and sequestration projects are being considered in Louisiana and throughout our region because it’s a well-understood technology to help eliminate harmful emissions. Together they are attracting billions of dollars in public and private investments that will bring many high-paying permanent jobs to our state.

We must continue to share the positive impact of clean natural gas on reducing U.S. emissions — and its potential impact worldwide. Let’s listen to the Clean Power leaders who want to responsibly streamline permitting and expand energy access for renewables and natural gas alike. Let’s fast-track our LNG export facilities to drive down global emissions and break the world’s addiction to coal. And let’s double down on investments in promising new technologies, like carbon capture, that can partner with renewables to cut emissions faster.

If we do these things, we’ll have a thriving economy for the long haul, and Louisianans can be proud that they are leading the way to a reliable, sustainable, low-carbon future for the planet.

Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, served as a U.S. senator from Louisiana, 1997-2015. She is a leadership council co-chair for Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future.