As the media and public officials learn about the true advantages and tremendous potential of natural gas, more endorse its increased use. Listed below is a growing example of support for greater natural gas utilization.

Executive & Congressional Action

  • Obama Administration Officials: “No Documented Cases of Hydraulic Fracturing Contamination”
  • “I believe that natural gas is an over looked resource and has great potential to increase heavy truck transportation and create jobs in states like New Mexico.”  -Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) during a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Legislative Hearing, Senate Bill 1733. “Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act,” October 27, 2009.
  • “When we produce natural gas in America, we produce jobs in America…A reliable and affordable supply of U.S. energy has profound impacts on every sector of our economy and is the backbone of the U.S. employment base. Natural gas is a clean burning, low-carbon fuel that is predominantly produced here at home. This caucus will serve to investigate and debate the economic and national security implications of the newfound abundance of natural gas in the United States.”  -Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) in Press Release: Sen. Landrieu, Chambliss Announce Creation of Senate Natural Gas Caucus” October 22, 2009.
  • “America has an abundant supply of clean, natural gas and has the means to access these resources in an environmentally friendly way…Increasing domestic production is a critical component of a comprehensive energy policy that will reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources for our energy needs.” -Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Press Release: Sen. Landrieu, Chambliss Announce Creation of Senate Natural Gas Caucus” October 22, 2009.
  • Congressmen Dan Boren (D-OK) and Tim Murphy (R-PA ) unite to start the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus, a bipartisan effort to promote awareness of an abundant, low emission energy source. By increasing and expanding the many uses of environmentally-friendly natural gas, America can move toward greater domestic energy independence. (Click here to view the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus membership list)
  • U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln requests a separate title of the Kerry-Boxer Bill dedicated to the use of clean, abundant natural gas. (Click here to read the letter)
  • U.S. Senators request Senate Environment & Public Works Committee “take optimal advantage of America’s abundance of clean burning natural gas to dramatically lower CO2 emissions in both the near and long term” when crafting Senate climate change legislation. (Click here to read the letter)
  • “Natural gas has been called the prince of fossil fuels, and with good reason. It is cleaner burning and emits half the carbon dioxide of coal and one-third the amount of oil. Natural gas supplies a quarter of U.S. energy needs. It is a crucial component in many aspects of the U.S. economy, from home heating to electricity generation to transportation fuel, to a feedstock for the chemical industry for everything from fertilizer to pharmaceuticals.” -Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) at a House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, in a hearing on natural gas, July 30, 2008.

State Efforts

  • Western Governors’ Association (WGA) supports incentives for the use and development of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and NGV infrastructure in legislation to be considered by Congress.  (Click here to read the letter.)

Public Support

  • 90 County Commissioners and Mayors from across the West have penned letters to Secretary Salazar voicing their concerns with the new regulations and leasing slow-downs by the Department of Interior.
  • “Shale gas and other unconventional natural gas sources such as tight sands and coal bed methane provide more than 47 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. annually. According to the Energy Information Administration, by 2030 these unconventional natural gas resources will provide 56 percent of the natural gas consumed by the United States. All of this was made possible through development of the Barnett Shale in Texas in the 1980s and 1990s, where innovative drilling techniques, horizontal drilling, combined with the safe long-standing practice of hydraulic fracturing, demonstrated that this unconventional fuel could be economically produced on a large scale.” -Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)  (02/08/2010)
  • “If it can be extracted in an environmentally safe way, then why would you want to ban it?” Chu told reporters. “I think it can be done responsibly.”  -Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (when asked about hydraulic fracturing, click here for a summary of the hearing, 01/15/2010.)
  • “The last time a Rasmussen poll asked them if the development of new homegrown energy sources was “an urgent national priority,” 81 percent said yes. Only 9 percent disagreed.” (01/13/2010)
  • “New ‘game-changing technology’ – improvements in horizontal drilling and multi-fracturing of unconventional gas – has dramatically changed the dynamics of the North American natural gas market in the past year and a half.” -Economist Patricia Mohr (12/1/2009)
  • “Imagine this: A new technique for drilling into layers of a black rock called shale unlocks vast amounts of previously inaccessible natural gas. … Hydraulic fracturing … is key to the future of natural gas.” – Geologist W. Jack Ford (11/30/2009)
  • “Today, thanks in large part to hydraulic fracturing — which has been used for decades in our state to produce oil and gas — Pennsylvania is once again poised to transform the way Americans use energy.” -Fmr. Congressman John Peterson (11/27/2009)
  • “What I think we need to do is increase our domestic energy production… “I’m in favor of finding environmentally sound ways to tap our oil and our natural gas.” -President Barack Obama (10/15/2009)
  • Recently discovered natural gas reserves dubbed a “global warming game changer.” -John Podesta, Co-Chair, Obama Transition Team and CEO, Center for American Progress. (8/10/2009)
  • “We must get serious about using cleaner burning natural gas and renewable energy…” U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV) (7/10/2009)
  • “Natural gas is a vital part of the New Energy Economy. It is a permanent part of the New Energy Economy. It’s not a bridge fuel, not a transition fuel, but a mission-critical fuel.” -Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. (D-CO) in a speech to the Colorado Oil & Gas Association annual conference. (7/9/2009)
  • “as we transition to renewable energy, we can and should increase our domestic production of oil and natural gas. We’re not going to transform our economy overnight. We still need more oil, we still need more gas.” – Barack Obama (04/22/2009)
  • “It is not possible to switch immediately from the current large-scale fossil and nuclear based energy supply to a renewable energy supply. A transition phase is required to build up the necessary infrastructure. While remaining firmly committed to the promotion of renewable sources of energy, Greenpeace appreciates that natural gas, used in appropriately scaled cogeneration plants, is a necessary transition fuel, and will drive cost-effective decentralization of U.S. energy infrastructure.” -Greenpeace International, an excerpt from Energy Revolution: A Sustainable USA Energy Outlook (February 2009)
  • “As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves…” -U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) in his acceptance speech before the Democratic National Convention (8/28/2008)
  • “Natural gas is cheap, abundant and clean…” -Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (8/24/2008)
  • “As Democrats, we are pro-drilling. And we are for drilling now…” -U.S. House Chair, Natural Resources Committee, Nick Rahall (D-WV) (7/18/2008)


  • A recent survey found that young oil and gas professionals believe that natural gas resources would be plentiful well into the future.  Click here to read the Deloitte December 2009 Survey of Oil and Natural Gas Professionals: ‘Age of Plenty Predicted for Natural Gas.’

News Articles & Editorials

Renewables need helping hand from gas (San Diego Tribune, 05/23/2010)

Op-ed: To compete with China, U.S. must tap natural gas (by T. Boone Pickens, Politico, 04/13/2010)

Gas market goes global, shale’s impact felt around the world (Calgary Herald, 02/09/2010)

Op-ed: Natural gas is solution to our economic woes (by James Badgett, San Angelo Standard-Times, 02/03/2010)

Op-ed: Congress Should Change Energy-Climate Equation (by Sen. Marc Udall, D-CO, Roll Call, 12/1/2009)

Editorial: Pipeline Progress (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 11/30/2009)

Op-ed: Natural gas vehicles would cut oil imports (by Sen. Orrin Hatch and T. Boone Pickens, Salt Lake Tribune, 10/14/2009)

New climate bill supports further natural gas production (Ft. Worth business Press, 10/05/2009)

Opinion: New Energy, Take Two (by Vincent Carroll, Denver Post, 10/04/2009)

Editorial: Natural gas (Salt Lake Tribune, 10/02/2009)

Editorial: Natural gas is key to cleaner energy (Denver Post, 10/01/2009)

Wyoming gains in pairing of wind, natural gas (Casper Star-Tribune, 09/24/2009)

Editorial: Energy industry advances, even in down economy (Casper Star-Tribune, 09/24/2009)

Editorial: Natural-gas climate (The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 09/23/2009)

NPR 3-part series:

With Little Clout, Natural Gas Lobby Strikes Out (NPR, 09/24/2009)

Who’s Looking At Natural Gas Now? (NPR, 09/23/2009)

Rediscovering Natural Gas By Hitting Rock Bottom (NPR, 09/22/2009)

Op-ed: Natural Gas Could Cut Oil Dependence (by Rep. Harry Teague, D-NM, Albuquerque Journal/Hobbs News Sun/Ruidoso News/Carlsbad Current Argus, 9/20/2009)

Natural-gas outlook positive, for most part (Casper-Star Tribune, 09/16/2009)

Western Energy Alliance Materials

Western Natural Gas: Jobs and Clean Energy for America

News Release: America’s Independent Natural Gas and Oil Producers Take to Capitol Hill (02/25/2010)

News Release: Utah’s Natural Gas Producers Tout Affordable, Clean and Domestic Resource to State Policymakers (10/20/2009)

News Release: IPAMS to House Natural Resources Committee: ‘Let Us Develop Clean, Abundant American Energy!’ (Congressional Testimony Included) (09/16/2009)

Open Letter to Congress: IPAMS Calls on Congress to Recognize Benefits of Abundant, Clean-Burning American Natural Gas (08/18/2009)

News Release: Hydraulic Fracturing: Safe, Reliable and Vital to the Rockies (06/04/2009)

News Release: IPAMS Statement on Obama Budget: Punitive tax increases could devastate small independents who produce 82% of U.S. natural gas (05/07/2009)

News Release: IPAMS Members to Travel to DC to Fight Obama Tax Proposals (03/24/2009)

IPAMS Guest Commentary in Denver Post: “Hydraulic fracturing is safe, key to energy goals” (12/01/2009)

Studies

2008 EIA Summary: US Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and NGL Proved Reserves

Energy Information Administration
October 2009

Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report
January 2010

The Global Energy Challenges: Reviewing the Strategies for Natural Gas (and the Key Role in Cutting CO2)

International Gas Union (released during the 24th World Gas Conference, Argentina)
October 2009

We have massive reserves of it in this country, enough to meet our energy needs for 100 years. What Saudi Arabia is to oil, the United States is to natural gas. … Recent technological advances in drilling and completion methods have made it possible to retrieve natural gas from geological formations called shale.” (San Angelo Standard-Times, Op-Ed, 2/3/10)