Natural Gas, Climate And New York Infrastructure

Monday May 16, 2016

 

We've written a number of posts recently on U.S. climate gains from increased use of clean-burning natural gas (see here, here and here). Domestic natural gas is the main reason the U.S. is leading the world in reducing carbon emissions underscored by government data this week showing that energy-related emissions in 2015 were 12 percent lower than 2005 level.

 Yet, some continue to miss the role natural gas is playing in U.S. climate progress. Instead of declaring victory, some continue to rally, protest and campaign against natural gas and its infrastructure opposing the very thing that is achieving what they want. Unfortunately, they're impacting public policy along the way.

Nowhere is there a better illustration of this negative impact than in New York state.

Last month state officials rejected the Constitution natural gas pipeline, proposed to bring natural gas from neighboring Pennsylvania (where safe natural gas development goes on) to a number of counties on the Southern Tier of New York (where safe development is banned). API New York Executive Director Karen Moreau talked about damage from the Cuomo administration's decision to New Yorkers, state businesses and climate progress during aconference call with reporters. Moreau:

The state made a politically motivated, shortsighted decision to support those who believe it advances their climate agenda. Yet, natural gas is lowering emissions. You can't grow the use of renewables without natural gas as base load, and the governor's own energy plan assumes significant growth in natural gas use, but we can neither produce it nor transport it he...

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