Let's Clear the Air podcast: Senator Mary Landrieu Advocates for Smart Energy Policy and the Essential Role of Natural Gas

In the latest episode of the Let's Clear the Air Energy podcast hosted by midstream veterans Andrew Parker and Adam Murray, former U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) offers her insights on the critical role of natural gas in achieving economic, climate, and security goals today and into the foreseeable future. During the conversation with Parker, a climate scientist with SPL, and Adam Murray, an executive with WeldFit, Landrieu emphasized the need for a balanced energy approach that includes natural gas as an essential component.

Landrieu was a three-term U.S. senator from 1997-2015, where she chaired the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Known for her bipartisanship and commitment to problem-solving, she now serves as co-cfhair of the Leadership Council for Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future. Natural Allies is a bipartisan coalition that works with an array of stakeholders to support the role of natural gas in the energy mix. Members of the group include Williams, Kinder Morgan, and GPA Midstream Association, as well as other midstream companies, trade groups, and unions.

Parker, Murry, and Landrieu talked about the need to counter misinformation and homed in on ICF research published this year refuting a study from a Cornell University professor claiming that U.S. LNG exports have a greater greenhouse gas emissions than domestically produced coal. The ICF analysis, sponsored by Natural Allies and Partnership to Address Global Emissions, identified serious flaws in the Cornell study, which was cited by the Biden administration in its decision to pause approvals of LNG exports. The flaws included faulty assumptions, poor methodological approaches, and factual errors.

"That study was hogwash," Landrieu said. "[The Cornell study] was using faulty information. It was not factual. So the question is to me, why did the Biden administration take one faulty study off the shelf and use it to make such a consequential decision? We want to follow the science. Natural Allies' job is to find the fastest path forward to lower global emissions, and we recognize the role that American natural gas plays in that effort. And we are not going to use faulty science or made up baloney. But the Biden administration basically ate a baloney sandwich. And that is not right."

Landrieu underscored the need for bipartisan support in crafting energy policy and called for investment in technological innovations like carbon capture. She advised a pragmatic approach that reduces emissions without eliminating fossil fuels. The senator highlights the fact that the U.S. has reduced greenhouse gas emissions faster than any other nation, which she attributes largely to using natural gas for power generation in place of coal.

"Natural gas is part of the climate solution," Landrieu said. "As gas replaces coal, our grid becomes cleaner and our emissions are reduced. We don't want to compete with wind and solar. We want to partner with them, and they need us as much as we need them."

Key topics discussed in the episode include:

• The essential role of natural gas in a balanced energy policy.
• How natural gas has enabled the U.S. to reduce emissions faster than other nations.
• The importance of bipartisan cooperation in passing effective energy legislation.
• The need for U.S. leadership in natural gas exports to stabilize the global energy market.
• Dispelling misinformation about the environmental impact of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
• Promoting investment in carbon capture technologies.
• Empowering young energy leaders to drive future innovations.

As the U.S. heads into an election season, Landrieu and the hosts stress the importance of energy policies that take into account economic, climate, and security concerns. Landrieu's data-driven approach outlines a clear, common-sense path to addressing the climate crisis while ensuring affordable and reliable energy for continued economic growth.

Click here to listen to the full episode and subscribe to the Let's Clear the Air podcast.

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