WASHINGTON, District of Columbia, May 2, 2024—Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) President & CEO Amy Andryszak today released the following statement regarding the National Petroleum Council (NPC) reports Charting the Course: Reducing GHG Emissions from the U.S. Natural Gas Supply Chain and Harnessing Hydrogen: A Key Element of the U.S. Energy Future:
“INGAA appreciates the NPC’s focus on and study of natural gas and hydrogen as fuel sources important to the United States economy, national security, and meeting our country’s climate goals and welcomes many of the policy recommendations laid out in Charting the Course.
“Importantly, INGAA appreciates the recognition by the Council that natural gas will have a critical role in the U.S. energy mix now and beyond 2050, calling it ‘the largest primary energy source’ that ‘will continue to play a crucial role’ ‘beyond 2050 under all EIA scenarios.’ Natural gas serves as the foundation for nearly every aspect of daily life, including accounting for nearly 40% of electricity generation in the U.S. in 2022, and will remain a crucial piece of the puzzle as we evolve to a cleaner energy future.
“The report recognizes that existing policies and actions are expected to result in a 63% decline in methane emissions from the natural gas supply chain by 2030 relative to 2020. INGAA agrees with the NPC’s recommendation that remaining GHG emissions can be addressed with durable policy formation, including regulatory harmonization and incentives for technology research.
“INGAA members are committed to reducing methane and other GHG emissions from their operations and are leading the effort to modernize our nation’s energy infrastructure to meet the dual goals of lowering emissions and delivering affordable, clean energy safely and reliably to homes and businesses. In fact, our members have improved the methane intensity of their transmission & storage facilities by 84% since 1992.
“Further, we appreciated the work done on Harnessing Hydrogen, including recognition that to achieve the United States’ 2050 net-zero goals, an all of the above approach, harnessing multiple technologies, including low-carbon intensity (LCI) hydrogen made from natural gas feedstock, will be critical.
“Finally, both reports highlight the need for a ‘clear, durable, and timely permitting process framework’ in order to realize potential emissions reductions and fully harness these clean energy technologies. These reports present viable options to meet our emissions reductions goals, but they cannot be achieved if we do not unlock permitting reform that will enable buildout of ‘infrastructure at a scale rarely seen in the U.S. economy during the last several decades.’”
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INGAA represents the U.S. natural gas pipeline industry. INGAA’s members deliver clean, abundant, affordable natural gas throughout North America and operate approximately 200,000 miles of pipelines that serve as an indispensable link between natural gas producers and consumers.
