Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry penned an opinion piece in Houma Today on June 16 touting Act 46, a bipartisan measure that passed unanimously to stop local municipalities from banning natural gas connections. Landry calls the measure crucial for the state’s economic recovery and growth.
“While domestic natural gas has helped power America’s energy revolution and provides clean, low-cost energy to millions – some cities, towns, and counties in California and New York have enacted shortsighted bands on natural gas connections. Fortunately, Louisiana has followed the lead of Arizona, Oklahoma, and Tennessee to ensure that our municipalities do not do the same here,” Landry wrote. “Thanks in large part to the hard-working men and women in Louisiana, America has surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s top producer of natural gas and oil; and we have helped to position our country to become a net energy exporter.”
Empowerment Alliance notes that natural gas powers more than 30 percent of the country’s energy needs. Not only that, the Empowerment Alliance notes that the country’s energy trade deficit has dropped by 87 percent.
Nearly 1 million Louisiana homes and businesses used natural gas in 2018, and nearly one third of homes used natural gas for heating. Landry said that the statistics showed 69 percent used natural gas to provide power to their homes – and that’s the fifth highest rate in the country. Not only that, but the use of natural gas has also saved those individuals hundreds of dollars per year - $879 less than those whose homes are powered with electricity.
“In Louisiana, where nearly 20 percent of our people live below the poverty line, that kind of savings can have a dramatic and life-changing impact. What’s more: because it is a clean alternative to oil and coal and a far more efficient option than renewables like wind and solar, natural gas is contributing to cleaner air in our State and across our country,” Landry wrote.
Not only that, but between 2007 and 2017, carbon emissions dropped by nearly 5 percent in the state of Louisiana.
“So I applaud our House of Representatives and Senate for coming together and prioritizing this critical legislation. By acting to protect consumers from natural gas bans, all levers of our State government have done a great service for Louisiana’s residents,” Landry said.