Energy and Climate

The world faces two urgent, intertwined energy challenges…
Lifting billions out of energy poverty and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

At a Glance

  • More than 700 million people have no access to electricity. Billions more rely on wood, dung, and charcoal for cooking and heat.
  • The earth is warming. The climate is changing. These challenges are not in conflict—USLNG addresses both simultaneously.
  • A coal-to-gas switch reduces CO2 emissions by ≈50% immediately, at scale, without waiting for new technology.
  • Nine independent life cycle analyses confirm that USLNG delivers significant GHG reductions over coal, even accounting for upstream methane.

The world faces two urgent, intertwined energy challenges: lifting billions out of energy poverty and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions warming the planet. These challenges are not in conflict. USLNG addresses both.

More than 700 million people have no access to electricity. Billions more rely on wood, charcoal, and animal dung for cooking and heat—fuels that cause respiratory disease, environmental destruction, and perpetual poverty. As DOE Sec. Chris Wright has argued, energy poverty is the world’s most pressing humanitarian crisis. Reliable, affordable energy is not a luxury. It is the foundation of human dignity, economic development, and national security.

At the same time, climate change demands urgent action. The earth is warming. Humans are largely responsible. LNG Allies fully supports the goal of reducing GHG emissions.

The critical insight—one too many climate advocates miss—is that the nations burning the most coal are also home to most of the world’s energy poor. A coal-to-gas switch powered by USLNG addresses both problems simultaneously: it brings reliable, affordable energy to people who need it, and it cuts GHG emissions by ≈50% compared to coal.

The United States has proven this at home. Since 2008, the shift from coal to natural gas in U.S. power generation has driven greater CO2 reductions than all U.S. renewable energy deployment combined. We are now the world’s largest LNG exporter, ready to help the world replicate our experience.

USLNG proponents are not anti-renewables. Like Sec. Wright, we are pro-reality. The fastest, most cost-effective path to meaningful global GHG reductions runs through widespread solar deployment and immediate coal-to-gas switching—with energy efficiency improvements, too.

Setting the Record Straight on Methane

Critics argue that upstream methane leaks render natural gas no better than coal. This claim has been examined and disproved by nine independent life cycle analyses conducted by DOE, leading universities, and private research institutions since 2014. Methane leakage is a serious issue the U.S. natural gas and LNG export industries take seriously. LNG Allies supports direct regulation of methane emissions and industry efforts to eliminate flaring and leaks. Responsible production and climate leadership are not in conflict.

What This Means Globally

For nations still burning coal, USLNG offers the fastest, most reliable path to cutting emissions now… Not in 2040, not when battery storage reaches grid scale, but today. For nations that lack access to reliable electricity, USLNG can fuel the power generation that changes lives. The United States has proven this at home and we are proving it abroad.

To learn how USLNG can help your nation meet its energy and climate commitments, connect with LNG Allies President Fred Hutchison on LinkedIn.

The Science: Nine Independent Life Cycle Analyses