Obama Encourages More Natural Gas Infrastructure

President Obama encouraged more natural gas infrastructure in Tuesday’s State of the Union speech. In it, he talked about his “all-of-the-above energy strategy”, which incorporates diverse energy sources to keep America running (and driving) with less potential disruption from global political and economic changes.

He specifically mentioned natural gas as a bridge fuel. It burns cleaner than the petroleum cars have been using, and the innovation that has gone into modern CNG vehicles is impressive. In order to get more people driving natural gas vehicles, we need more natural gas infrastructure – specifically fueling stations. Obama called on Congress to create programs to employ people and get the natural gas infrastructure built.

Natural gas is in the news a great deal partly because of fracking. Fracking can be done safely, or it can cause problems, such as earthquakes or contamination of water sources. Natural gas pipelines can also rupture with spectacular and dangerous results. Even so, natural gas represents an enormous opportunity for the U.S. to reduce dependence on foreign oil while also reducing emissions.

Here is what Obama said about natural gas production and natural gas infrastructure in the State of the Union address:

Now, one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than we’ve been in decades.

One of the reasons why is natural gas – if extracted safely, it’s the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas. I’ll cut red tape to help states get those factories built, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas. My administration will keep working with the industry to sustain production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air, our water, and our communities. And while we’re at it, I’ll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations.

Image: Mariordo59/CC