How Natural Gas Pipelines Contribute To National Energy Independence

U.S. national energy independence and resilience have become increasingly crucial as disruptive world events, price volatility, and supply chain strains threaten once-reliable energy access. As the second largest domestic energy source, natural gas is poised to transform these vulnerabilities into strategic advantages—but realizing that potential hinges on expanding America’s vast pipeline infrastructure backbone.

U.S. pipelines currently deliver over 32 trillion cubic feet of natural gas annually across 3 million miles of pipeline that link production zones, storage facilities,  industry hubs, power plants, and population centers. Ensuring the expansion of capacity of this interconnected network offers a pathway to energy affordability, self-sufficiency, and security by connecting today’s proven natural gas reserves to tomorrow’s forecasted growth across power generation, manufacturing, commercial, residential, and LNG export markets. Robust, redundant pipeline and storage capacity also buffer domestic grids and supply chains against unforeseen shocks.

Still, infrastructure gaps between current development rates and 2050 demand projections must first be addressed through coordinated leadership, planning, and investment between public and private entities. America’s pipelines represent the critical arteries that can maintain and fuel our national energy independence and must be enabled to keep pace with needed expansion efforts, to match the ambition.

In this article, we will not only highlight the economic and environmental implications of natural gas pipelines but also address the challenges they face.

Understanding Natural Gas Pipelines

There are three main types of natural gas pipelines: transmission, distribution, and gathering pipelines. Transmission pipelines transport natural gas at high pressures across long distances, like the intrastate natural gas pipeline networks, and interstate natural gas pipeline networks spanning the continental United States. Distribution pipelines deliver gas to end-use industrial, commercial, and residential consumers through utility companies. Gathering pipelines collect natural gas from production areas and route to gas processing facilities, converging gas from multiple drilling and production sites and shale basins, to critical gas processing facilities that remove impurities and condition the natural gas so as to be usable by the consumer.

Together, these types of pipeline systems enable our country to capitalize on well over a century’s worth of proven gas reserves, efficiently and silently connecting domestic gas supplies with growing demand centers. Expansive pipeline connectivity empowers strategic load balancing too, allowing states with limited in-state resources to bridge supply gaps during peak cold snaps.

Steady pipeline infrastructure development has proven essential for opening new gas demand channels as well. Over the past decade, thousands of miles of pipelines feeding into liquefaction terminals along the Gulf Coast transformed the U.S. into a global LNG export powerhouse. Pipeline connectivity now supports the U.S. shipping supercooled LNG to Europe and Asia via ocean tankers. U.S. LNG exports totaled more than 11 billion cubic feet per day in the first half of 2022. This U.S. LNG supply is now a vital resource to natural gas markets around the globe..

Contribution to National Energy Independence

The U.S. natural gas pipeline networks enable our energy independence in multiple ways. For one, extending domestic pipeline mileage and delivery capacity reduces import reliance by unlocking abundant shale gas resources locally and making these resources available for growing industrial centers, population centers, power plants, and market hubs. Supplanting even a fraction of imports with steady shale production buffered through storage delivers policymakers tremendous pricing power and insulation from external shocks linked to foreign energy supplies, thus increasing our national security.

Robust pipeline infrastructure enhances the ability to manage supply and demand variability efficiently, matching supply with demand over the short term and long term, across the seasons, and thereby stabilizing natural gas prices. This stability is beneficial for both producers and consumers, providing a more predictable pricing environment which is essential for long-term economic planning and growth.

Economic Implications

Expanding natural gas pipeline infrastructure generates tangible economic growth through job creation, investment potential, taxation, and stimulating domestic industry. It is estimated that on average, each new mile of transmission pipeline built produces approximately 58 jobs. In fact, as of 2023, there are approximately 211,606 oil and gas pipeline construction employees in the United States (representing a 2.3% increase from 2022), in addition to the workforce that owns, operates, and maintains existing pipelines.

Pipeline contractors and construction material suppliers directly benefit from infrastructure investment, alongside sectors like steel manufacturing that provide vital inputs. Ample pipeline capacity also unlocks new opportunities across manufacturing, petrochemicals, and more by guaranteeing reliable, affordable energy. Access to stable natural gas feeds through to stability in electricity prices as well, helping expand output for heavy electricity users like industrial sites, commercial users, and technology firms building advanced data centers nationwide.

Environmental and Safety Considerations

Natural gas pipelines provide a mechanism for displacing higher-emission energy sources across economic sectors, supporting national decarbonization goals. Gas emits nearly 50% less CO2 than coal and 30% less than oil when combusted while also producing fewer particulates, SO2, NOx, and mercury. Pipelines thus aid zero-carbon ambitions for electricity and manufacturing, by enabling lower carbon fuels, as well as providing a reliable energy supply that is required to provide base power generation that supports increasing renewable power installation, which is intermittent in its power generation capabilities.

Built to stringent federal safety guidelines, gas pipelines also offer the safest mode of hydrocarbon transportation. Millions of miles of existing U.S. pipelines have delivered gas with 99.999% reliability over decades, experiencing less than 0.01 incidents per thousand miles-years traveled. Pipeline operators implement layers of physical security and monitoring using aerial and ground patrols, leading-edge preventative maintenance procedures, telemetry from field sites to control centers, and advanced control systems.

Electrification – Future Trends in Gas Consumption, and Gas Pipeline Development

Even while bolstering near-term pipeline capacity, all stakeholders should remain cognizant of long-range shifts in energy consumption and generation. Total U.S. renewable energy usage including hydroelectric, solar, wind, and biofuels is forecast by IEA to grow over 70% by 2050. This transition is already spurring the deployment of hybrid solar-gas plants that balance the variable output of solar power generation with reliable and efficient gas power generation while reducing emissions.

Similarly, the electrification of industries and our transportation methods will shift our energy resources.  Electric vehicle adoption over the coming decades will erode gasoline and diesel demand, prompting the need for increased power generation plants, and resultant natural gas supplies and infrastructure. Navigating these demand-side changes likely requires expanding pipeline and storage infrastructure.

Ultimately, realizing American energy security and independence in this century depends heavily on expanding natural gas pipeline and storage infrastructure to leverage the nation’s immense (and increasing) domestic reserves. Pipelines provide vital connectivity between today’s abundant shale resources and high-growth demand centers, from LNG exports to petrochemical manufacturing. Plentiful, stable gas energy unlocks downstream economic growth while also enabling environmentally conscious power generation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the significance of natural gas pipelines for national energy security?

Natural gas pipelines are fundamental to national energy security for several reasons. They provide a reliable and efficient means of transporting domestically produced natural gas, reducing reliance on foreign oil and helping to stabilize the national energy supply. By ensuring a steady flow of energy, pipelines support critical infrastructure for industries, and all consumers, bolstering the economy and enhancing the nation’s ability to respond to energy demands and emergencies.

How do natural gas pipelines contribute to economic growth?

Natural gas pipelines contribute to economic growth by supporting various sectors that rely on natural gas as a primary energy source. Pipelines enable industrial processes, power generation, and heating for residential and commercial buildings, and supply the LNG export market. This broad support spurs job creation, stimulates investment in energy infrastructure, and promotes economic activities in regions with pipeline access. Additionally, stable and affordable energy prices resulting from efficient pipeline distribution can lead to increased business competitiveness and consumer spending power.

What are the environmental impacts of gas pipelines?

Natural gas is cleaner burning than coal and oil, producing fewer pollutants and greenhouse gases when burned. In addition, as lower emissions renewable power generation capacity increases nationwide over time, the demand for natural gas power generation, pipelines, and storage actually increases, due to the intermittent nature of these power sources, as well as due to the highly variable gas demand profile of markets over the course of any given day.

Can natural gas pipelines reduce dependency on imported energy?

Yes, natural gas pipelines can significantly reduce dependency on imported energy. By efficiently transporting domestically produced natural gas across the country, pipelines enable the utilization of local resources, diminishing the need for imported oil and other fuels. This shift not only enhances energy security but also supports economic stability by keeping energy expenditures within the national economy and insulating to some degree against global energy market volatility.

What are the future prospects for natural gas pipelines in energy security?

The future prospects for natural gas pipelines in energy security are promising. As the demand for cleaner, more reliable energy sources grows, natural gas is likely to play an increasingly important role. Pipelines will continue to be essential in delivering this energy efficiently and safely. Future developments may include expanding and modernizing existing pipeline infrastructure and integrating more renewable energy sources.

What is electrification?

Electrification means replacing technologies or processes that use fossil fuels, like internal combustion engines and gas boilers, with electrically-powered equivalents, such as electric vehicles or heat pumps.