America needs Trump to unleash natural gas

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What should President-elect Donald Trump do on Day One? The answer is clear for Pennsylvania, where the president-elect campaigned the most and delivered a historic victory. Trump won Pennsylvania in large part by promising to end the Biden administration’s war on natural gas, the energy source that powers the state’s and the country’s economic future. His most important job is to deliver on the promise.

In Pennsylvania, the urgency is palpable. We’re the country’s second-largest producer of natural gas and the No. 1 state for exporting electricity. The natural gas we drill and frack not only supports tens of thousands of jobs in the state but also helps keep costs low and the lights on for manufacturers and families nationwide. Our contribution is immense. Yet, we’ve only scratched the surface of natural gas production, with vast reserves of affordable and abundant energy waiting to be tapped. Workers and job creators are ready to make the most of these bountiful resources.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration has held the commonwealth back. Fortunately, the incoming Trump administration can reverse much of the damage with three simple actions on Day One.

First, Trump must repeal the so-called “Clean Power Plant” rule. Issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in April, this mandate, by design, drives natural gas power plants out of business. It forces them to adopt carbon-capture technology. However, such technology is unaffordable to the point of being infeasible — and that’s the point. Because natural gas plants can’t implement it, they must shut down. That inevitably means less demand for Pennsylvania’s natural gas, limiting the state’s production.

Trump could direct the EPA to repeal the rule from his first moment in office. He doesn’t even have to wait for the confirmation of his EPA administrator nominee, Lee Zeldin. Once it’s clear that the mandate is doomed, Pennsylvania’s natural gas production will increase, creating more jobs and lowering costs at the store and in utility bills.

Second, the new administration must end the liquified natural gas export ban. This foolish policy, released by Biden’s Energy Department in January, was framed by the White House as a mere “pause,” but it was obviously designed to curtail natural gas production permanently. The companies that drill for natural gas are less willing to start new projects or keep older ones running because they aren’t sure whether the federal government will block them from accessing global markets. That inevitably means less gas produced in Pennsylvania.

Once again, Trump can end the ban immediately without waiting for Senate approval of his energy secretary nominee, Chris Wright. This executive action would immediately give energy companies the confidence to expand their drilling and hire more workers, both in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

Third and finally, Trump can break the barriers that block the transportation of natural gas. The Biden administration has killed pipeline projects such as Keystone XL and banned railroads from carrying liquified natural gas. These are blatant attempts to stop natural gas production altogether, leaving energy companies with fewer affordable ways to get their product to businesses and consumers.

It’s too late for Trump to save Keystone XL. However, he can issue executive orders that immediately greenlight pending pipeline projects and end the ban on rail transportation. This effort would spur immediate investment in natural gas production, benefiting Pennsylvania workers and communities, to say nothing of consumers and job creators nationwide.

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These aren’t the only actions Trump should take. There’s also an urgent need to reform federal permitting, which activists often use to kill natural gas projects. The federal government also needs to apply a combination of public pressure and financial incentives to force state leaders, including Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), to stop standing in the way of energy development. But those actions will take time, whereas others will be achievable when Trump reenters the Oval Office.

The nation needs the president-elect to end the war on natural gas as quickly as possible, but Pennsylvanians need it most of all. The voters who delivered the White House to Trump are counting on him to deliver a new era of jobs and affordability for us.

Andrew J. Lewis, a former Pennsylvania state representative, is president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation.

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America needs Trump to unleash natural gas

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