As we usher in autumn and enjoy the cooling temperatures, we recognize the importance of energy in our lives from powering our electrical grid to heating our homes and cooking our meals, to the importance of our country’s energy security and the impact of energy on the standard of living of humans globally.
As conversations about the world’s energy resources continue to shape national and global headlines, there’s one fact that cannot be ignored: Access to affordable and readily available energy is vital to our quality of life and our economic development.
GLOBAL ENERGY DEMAND
Fossil fuels (natural gas and oil) currently provide 80% of the global energy that is needed around the world. As populations grow, energy demand will grow. The unfortunate reality is nearly three billion people around the world live in energy poverty, meaning they have no reliable access to electricity. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly four million people die every year from illnesses linked to household air pollution, primarily due to emissions from heating and cooking with energy sources like wood, crop waste, charcoal and dung.
Meanwhile, wealthy nations that have built their economies on oil, natural gas and coal, are calling for dramatic reductions in producing and using these fuels. And major banks that control access to most of the financing worldwide, are making it more difficult for underdeveloped countries to receive support for fossil fuel infrastructure.
When policies and financing limit the availability of fossil fuels, living standards and economic opportunities are hindered for the world’s poor. Limitations also pose serious geopolitical risks to the United States and allied countries.
“We are fortunate to have vast reserves of oil and natural gas throughout the United States that can support our domestic energy needs and supply international markets for decades to come,” explains Kelcy Warren, Executive Chairman for Energy Transfer. “We are proud to be in a position to help these developing countries through our natural gas export operations, and we believe that increasing the availability of natural gas around the world will make the biggest impact on lowering carbon emissions. In total, Energy Transfer exports more natural gas liquids (NGLs) than any other company or country, and our percentage of worldwide NGL exports represents approximately 20% of the world market.”
SUPPORTING A DIVERSE ENERGY MIX
Natural Gas is a critical partner in the development and operation of a broad mix of energy sources. Because of its abundance, natural gas will continue to play a major role in meeting energy needs in the future as the world’s mix of energy resources continue to evolve.
Europe’s energy policies over the last two decades, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have highlighted the risks of reducing domestical supplies of fossil fuels and relying too heavily on renewable energy sources. There’s a clear solution: Pair existing fossil fuel resources with new technologies to support the development of a broad portfolio of energy resources worldwide.
Enabling additional supplies of clean, affordable, and reliable natural gas to be produced and exported around the world is the most logical and quickest way to reduce emissions while also significantly improving the quality of life for billions of people in developing nations around the world.
We are lucky as a nation to have access to vast reserves of clean-burning natural gas that can be safely and sustainably produced for decades to come, helping support our economy and the world’s growing need for reliable energy. While it is nice to recognize this as the cold weather sets in, it is an important message that Americans should appreciate all year long.
