Natural gas is a critical component of the future energy system, according to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Willie L. Phillips.
Chairman Phillips, a Biden appointee, made the remarks at the Gastech Conference – the leading LNG global event – in Singapore this week, explaining:
“This convening of global energy leaders at Gastech in Singapore could not come at a more critical time. I don’t see a tension between the steps we have taken to fight climate change and the use of natural gas and LNG. Natural gas and LNG will be a feature of our energy mix far into the future. When it comes to considering new projects, one of the key things I consider is the impact that these projects will have on the climate. There will be no transition of our energy system without natural gas.” (emphasis added)
Willie L. Phillips, Chairman, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (@FERC) said: “This convening of global energy leaders at Gastech in Singapore could not come at a more critical time. I don’t see a tension between the steps we have taken to fight climate change and the use… pic.twitter.com/ftlNNmSsrp
— Gastech 2023 (@GastechEvent) September 5, 2023
Phillips’ remarks come as the U.S. federal appeals court for the D.C. circuit determines if new natural gas projects require a more rigorous review process by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lawsuits pushing the commission to more extensively examine natural gas projects and their effects on greenhouse gas emissions, as environmentalists seek a halt in all new natural gas projects until a new policy is finalized.
NEPA is consistently weaponized by environmentalists to delay and obstruct progress by the oil and gas industry.
However, Commission Chairman Phillips just said the quiet part out loud that environmentalists don’t want to hear: that natural gas is and will remain a key part of the world’s energy mix for decades to come.
EID has repeatedly covered the benefits of natural gas such as: its role in mitigating emissions, its ability to work with renewable energy to bridge intermittency gaps, and the role LNG plays in providing crucial energy security for our global allies.
Bottom Line: FERC Commission Chairman Phillips delivered a blow to environmentalists by stating that natural gas is here to stay, rightly highlighting its role in the energy transition to both meet global demand while progressing toward shared climate goals.
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