Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2025
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by Outside Contributor
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As Earth Day approaches on Tuesday, climate activists remind us of the importance of cutting carbon emissions. Yet, one inconvenient truth escapes their green-tinged talking points: The rise of natural gas in our power sector is the No. 1 driver of the reduction of emissions in the United States, not wind or solar.
If we want affordable and reliable power while being responsible stewards of the environment, natural gas is our most significant comparative advantage in the United States.
Between 2005 and 2019, the U.S. reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 800 million metric tons. The U.S. Energy Information Administration credits nearly two-thirds of that reduction to natural gas.
Zoom in more closely and you’ll find the same trend in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State—a powerhouse of energy production thanks to the development of the Marcellus Shale and the second-largest producer of natural gas in the nation—reduced its power-sector carbon emissions by nearly 11% in one year—the most significant year-over-year drop in decades.
Its emissions success story also comes from a market transition from coal to natural gas. Natural gas comprises 60% of Pennsylvania’s power generation, while 31% comes from nuclear, 5% from coal, and 4% from renewables (wind and solar). With this resource mix, Pennsylvania is one of only three states in the region that have successfully reduced emissions while increasing energy production.
Natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale region propelled the United States from being a net importer to the world’s largest exporter of natural gas. Today, Pennsylvania is the country’s top exporter of electricity.
Yet top Democrats—and some Republicans—remain duty-bound to the climate agenda and green energy donors. Instead of celebrating natural gas as a boon to both our energy independence and the environment, climate alarmists continue to vilify the industry. And by doing so, Pennsylvania Democrats continue to lash out against the sector that’s been giving Pennsylvania a competitive advantage.
For starters, former Gov. Tom Wolf entered Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative through an unconstitutional executive order in 2019. The initiative is a multistate cap-and-trade program intended to force states to lower their carbon emissions through a carbon tax placed on energy producers and, ultimately, consumers through increased energy prices. Some estimates suggest the initiative will cost the commonwealth up to 22,000 energy jobs and raise consumers’ electricity bills by a whopping 30%.
Fortunately, good constitutional governance intervened. The Commonwealth Court ruled that Wolf’s actions were illegal, stating clearly that a governor has no authority to unilaterally levy taxes without legislative approval. Gov. Josh Shapiro, Wolf’s successor, took up the torch and appealed the decision. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about the legality of Pennsylvania’s entry into the initiative on May 13. The initiative remains dormant while litigation is ongoing.
All litigation aside, the fact remains that Pennsylvania’s participation in a scheme like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is completely unnecessary. The Keystone State already has a proven track record of reducing emissions without causing energy scarcity simply by following the market-led push for natural gas. Greater natural gas development has brought the state greater energy independence, more reliable electricity, stable jobs, and—much to the chagrin of climate activists—fewer carbon emissions.
In fact, Pennsylvania has reduced its emissions more efficiently than states that are already participating in the initiative. Between 2018 and 2023, Pennsylvania’s emissions dropped by 9 million metric tons. Meanwhile, New York—a member of the initiative and a state with about 6 million more people than Pennsylvania—dropped only 1 million metric tons.
Moreover, states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative are struggling to contain costs. The Department of Environmental Protection in New Jersey, a state that is one of the initiative’s original charter members, noted that “participating RGGI states already have some of the highest retail electricity rates in the nation, with six of the nine states in the top 10, and increased energy costs should be of major concern.” Carbon taxes touch every corner of the economy and raise costs for families and businesses.
To avoid the initiative’s inevitable fallout, some Democrats have tried to cleverly rebrand the scheme. For example, Shapiro rebranded the Democrats’ climate agenda through a series of new green-energy efforts known as the Lightning Plan. Layered inside this plan is the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act, Shapiro’s homegrown, state-specific version of the initiative. His new agenda diminishes the natural gas industry’s role that led the commonwealth toward cleaner, more reliable energy.
But just like every Green New Deal knockoff, Shapiro’s policy package lacks political acumen. All these proposals, which prop up less-reliable energy sources by setting mandates for renewable energy usage and enacting burdensome red tape that slows down permitting and production for fuels like oil and natural gas, put energy security at risk and cost Americans in terms of jobs and energy prices.
On Election Day 2024, voters rejected the Left’s climate alarmist agenda in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Those who remained skeptical of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ flip-flop on fracking for oil and natural gas instead embraced President Donald Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” strategy.
Natural gas will help usher in a new era of American energy dominance—one that’s more reliable, secure, affordable, and—despite what the alarmists claim—cleaner.
So, if there’s one thing that environmentalists should celebrate this Earth Day, it’s natural gas.
André Béliveau is the senior manager of energy policy at the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s free-market think tank.
Reprinted with permission from The Daily Signal by Andre Beliveau.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
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