Sustainable Energy’s 2016 Factbook

By Dave McCurdy:

I am proud to once again participate in the launch of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy's 2016 Factbook. This year, Bloomberg New Energy Finance has put together a detailed report on our nation's energy outlook, highlighting the simultaneous growth in natural gas, investments in renewables and the US economy.

The 2016 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook proves that natural gas is seeing remarkable growth. In particular, there is a movement happening at the state level to McCurdy Photoupgrade our natural gas infrastructure and extend natural gas service to more consumers. In 2014, natural gas utilities invested $9.7 billion in our nation's distribution infrastructure, a 94 percent increase compared to the previous decade. This is part of the $22 billion natural gas utilities spend annually to help enhance the safety of natural gas distribution and transmission systems. As a result, there has been an increased prevalence of natural gas replacement and expansion programs across the U.S.

This national trend is due to the record year natural gas had in 2015. More homes and businesses use natural gas today than ever before and the numbers continue to increase because it is comfortable, efficient and affordable. For example, households that use natural gas for heating, cooking and clothes drying spend an average of $840 less per year than homes using electricity for those appliances.

The more than 100-year supply of natural gas in the United States forms the foundation for this clean energy source to heat our homes, run our vehicles, generate power, and support other forms of renewable energy for decades to come. Thank you to the Business Council for Sustainable Energy for leading this dialogue once again, about how our nation's robust energy supply is helping to meet our daily needs safely and reliably while growing our economy.