It is unfortunate but true that many Americans move through their daily lives unaware that the comfort they enjoy is thanks to natural gas. They don’t have to think about it because it is delivered safely and reliably and used affordably and efficiently in their homes or in the businesses that they frequent. If you wake up in a warm house, take a hot shower, eat a warm meal and head off to your job, a retail outlet or place of worship, there is a very good chance you were impacted in a positive way by clean natural gas. We should not take this comfort for granted, and we should not stand idly by in the face of attempts to take it away. The American Gas Association and our members are finding ways to tell this story and reminding our customers how much comfort they enjoy because of our product.
AGA has published a report titled Uncovering the U.S. Natural Gas Commercial Sector, which unveils the diversity within the commercial segment of the natural gas market and sheds light on the range of customers, technologies and end uses that serve this important backbone of the U.S. economy. Commercial activities encompass everything that most of us are doing when we are not at home, including education, health care, public order and safety, services, office work, food sales and service, lodging, retail and public assembly. Every university, hospital, police station, office building, fast food joint, hotel and VFW hall counts as a commercial space. These are the small businesses that are the job creators in our nation, and we are helping them save a lot of money on their energy costs through greater efficiency and affordable bills.
Businesses across the country are paying less for natural gas now than at any time since 1976. The commercial sector uses about 20 percent of all the energy consumed in the United States, and natural gas comprises about one-fifth of all total commercial energy consumption. It would be more were it not for the inherent efficiency of natural gas applications. Richard Meyer, AGA’s director, Energy Analysis and Standards, was the lead author of this report, and he wrote an article in this issue. In this article and the report, you will find a recipe for boosting our economy by adding to the bottom lines of these small businesses, enabling them to be more productive and support more families through the good jobs they provide.
Also in this issue of American Gas, you will discover how AGA members are helping restaurants in their communities select the best cooking equipment to fit their culinary needs with greater efficiency and affordability. Restaurants use significantly less natural gas than hospitals, schools and shopping malls, but it is essential to their success. A few years ago, a national survey by the Energy Solutions Center found that 98 percent of chefs prefer to cook with natural gas.
From the nation’s capital to conversations at the local level, we will be working together to educate people about the comfort that natural gas provides. Extending these benefits to more Americans has an undeniable positive impact on our lives and our economy. We have a domestic abundance of this clean energy source that keeps it accessible and affordable. It is incumbent upon us to use it wisely to reach our national goals.
For generations, our companies have served our communities, and we have a product that holds the promise for future prosperity. We cannot let anyone take it for granted.
President and CEO, dmccurdy@aga.org