By Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville)
For many years, we have relied heavily on foreign countries for our domestic energy needs. This reliance has rapidly changed over the past few decades thanks to technological advancements enabling us to better extract natural gas. The United States now produces nearly all the natural gas it consumes. And at the heart of it all, unsurprisingly, is Ohio.
Our country’s spike in natural gas production has made a positive economic impact while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The more natural gas we consume, the less reliant we become on fossil fuels which emit far greater greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas, for example, emits 30 percent less carbon dioxide as oil and half as much as coal and is now officially the largest source of electricity in the United States. It has helped reduce carbon emissions to levels not seen since mid-1980.