Landrieu: Natural Gas Is ‘Not the Enemy, It Is Part of the Solution’ to Achieving Climate Goals
Former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who is now a senior policy advisor for the law firm Van Ness Feldman and co-chair of the Natural Allies Leadership Council, is keen on natural gas and believes it is part of the solution to reaching both domestic and global climate goals.
“Natural gas in America is not the enemy,” Landrieu said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. “The majority of the emissions reductions of the United States in the last 10 years are directly attributed to more natural gas being used and less coal,” she said.
Yet, that doesn’t mean Landrieu is opposed to renewable energy. She believes in an “all-of-the-above” strategy. “As natural gas has replaced coal as the number one producer of electricity in this country, our emissions have been reduced substantially, that is, in addition and in collaboration with—in partnership with—the increase in wind [and] the increase in solar,” said Landrieu.
There are many reasons to support natural gas, according to Landrieu. For one, America has a lot of it. “We have over a hundred-year supply,” she claimed. “Number two: we have an amazing pipeline infrastructure that can move gas from where we find it to the people that need it,” she added. “But also, what’s so important is natural gas, because it’s relatively inexpensive, we can keep the cost of electricity lower. So, it’s available, it’s plentiful, it’s affordable, and when connected with wind and solar, we can really build a modern and low-emissions electric grid for the country.”
Landrieu has a sound basis for her views, having served three terms in the U.S. Senate (1997–2015) where she chaired the prominent Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and where she advocated for her home state of Louisiana, which is America’s fourth-largest energy-producing state. Still, Landrieu pushes back when people suggest she only promotes natural gas because Louisiana produces it. “No, I promote natural gas because we produce it, but we also use a lot of it. So, my goal is to keep it plentiful [and] keep the price low and stable,” she said.
Another form of energy that Landrieu supports is nuclear power. “Although our coalition doesn’t promote nuclear, we recognize the power of nuclear power. We want to see more nuclear power in this country,” she said. “Nuclear provides about 18% of our electricity—it was about 20—if we could get that up to 25 or even 30%, it would really help. Natural gas can provide a lot, more wind, more solar, and as batteries come along, that’s going to be, I think, the combination we’re looking for.”
The Natural Allies Leadership Council calls itself “a coalition of interested stakeholders that recognize the vital role natural gas and its infrastructure must play in the energy mix.” The group says natural gas partnered with renewable energy “can accelerate our path to a clean energy future—ensuring affordability and reliability while reducing carbon emissions domestically and internationally.”
Landrieu co-chairs the group with Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.), who served southern Florida in Congress from 2002 to 2010; Michael Nutter, who served as Philadelphia’s 98th Mayor from 2008 to 2016; and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who served 10 terms in Congress from 2003 to 2023. “We’re talking to Democrats—we’re happy always to talk with Republicans as well—but we’re talking to Democratic leaders and saying, ‘If you want prices low, if you want your people employed, if you want jobs in your community, natural gas is for you.’ And we’re happy to partner with renewables, nuclear, batteries, and let’s build a future together,” said Landrieu.
To hear the full interview with Landrieu, which contains more about the benefits of natural gas, the importance of bipartisan cooperation, the need for more pipelines, the mistakes some European countries have made in their energy policies, the importance of liquefied natural gas exports, and much more, listen to The POWER Podcast. Click on the SoundCloud player below to listen in your browser now or use the following links to reach the show page on your favorite podcast platform:
For more power podcasts, visit The POWER Podcast archives.
—Aaron Larson is POWER’s executive editor (@AaronL_Power, @POWERmagazine).