Natural Gas More Vital Now Than Ever Before
The American Gas Association released its 2025 Playbook today, showcasing the foundational role of natural gas in advancing American prosperity and energy security. More than 189 million Americans and 5.8 million businesses use natural gas because it is safe, affordable, reliable and essential to improving our environment. America’s natural gas utilities are innovating and working to reduce energy costs for everyday customers through new and modernized infrastructure and advanced technologies that are making our vital energy infrastructure more reliable, resilient and secure.
“America’s natural gas industry is the fundamental underpinning of a growing US economy, adding one customer every minute of every day,” said AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert. “The natural gas industry has been a leader in helping our nation advance our energy and environmental goals, delivering solutions to some of America’s biggest challenges at home and abroad. We are proud that America’s abundant natural gas and our vast utility delivery system provides the most affordable way for our customers to heat their homes and feed their families. As a result, it is no surprise that Americans with access to natural gas choose it. Exciting technologies like hydrogen and renewable natural gas offer new opportunities for the industry while we continue to invest in affordable and reliable natural gas. With the rise of new industries and technologies, America’s natural gas industry will be there every step of the way. At AGA, we are committed to continuing to fuel America as we advance towards a more secure and cleaner future.”
Natural Gas is Affordable: Households that use natural gas for heating, cooking and clothes drying save an average of $1,132 compared to homes using electricity for those applications. The reliability of natural gas has saved American households $125 billion in the last decade, and businesses more than $500 billion.
Natural Gas is Reliable: Planned and unplanned outages alike affect only 1 in 650 natural gas customers per year while electric distribution systems have an average of one outage per year per customer.
Natural Gas is Improving Our Environment: Emissions from the natural gas distribution system have declined 70 percent since 1990, while natural gas household emissions continue to decline by 1.3 percent per year.
Natural gas is Safe: America’s natural gas utilities invest $33 billion each year in enhancing the safety of natural gas distribution and transmission systems.
America’s Natural Gas Utilities are Innovative: Natural gas efficiency and the growth of renewable energy have led to energy-related carbon dioxide emissions hitting 40-year lows. Low-carbon fuels like renewable natural gas and clean hydrogen offer exciting avenues for further emissions reductions.
You can read the entire 2025 AGA Playbook at playbook.aga.org.