Ten years ago, few would have predicted that the United States would become the world’s leading exporter of liquified natural gas (LNG). Today, this leadership is not only a reality, but central to global energy security and to the continued expansion of a truly global natural gas market.
As energy leaders from across the U.S. and Europe gather in Pittsburgh for the EU-U.S. LNG Cooperation 2.0 Summit, the setting tells its own story. Pennsylvania is home to one of the world’s most productive natural gas fields, and our resources have helped power an American energy revolution that’s reshaped global markets and alliances.
The turning point came in 2016 when the first U.S. LNG export departed Louisiana — marking the beginning of the modern American LNG era.
It demonstrated, nearly 12 years after the first successful Marcellus shale well was produced, that the U.S. could move from energy scarcity to energy dominance, supplying natural gas not only at home but also to allies seeking stability and security.
What has become even clearer over the past decade, is that as more energy infrastructure is built around the world, U.S. natural gas will only become more important to global trade. Expanding LNG infrastructure accelerates the integration of regional markets into a durable global system.
And the U.S. plays a critical role in that system. But export terminals don’t operate in isolation. The foundation of that first shipment — and every cargo since — was powered by production growth in regions like Appalachia.
The Marcellus and Utica formations have driven about 85% of U.S. shale gas growth over the past decade. Today, the broader Appalachian Basin produces approximately a third of America’s total natural gas supply. This abundance underpins America’s ability to export LNG at scale while maintaining affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy for families and businesses at home.
In fact, U.S. natural gas production has grown three times faster than LNG exports since 2010. Domestic prices have trended lower even as the U.S. became the world’s leading LNG exporter. Energy costs for American families and businesses remain among the lowest globally.
But there’s more progress we can and should make. An S&P Global analysis finds that continued regulatory and legal uncertainty around proposed U.S. LNG projects threatens more than $250 billion in incremental GDP and over 100,000 jobs annually through 2040.
Beyond the economic opportunity, expanding LNG exports is also an environmental and strategic imperative. Additional U.S. LNG could avoid 780 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions globally between 2028 and 2040 by displacing higher emitting fuels. If American exports are constrained, the resulting energy gap will not disappear. It will be filled by non-U.S. sources that do not adhere to strict and effective environmental standards like ours. Limiting U.S. LNG does not reduce global emissions; it shifts supply to dirtier alternatives from unstable regions of the world.
Recent history underscores this reality. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. LNG replaced nearly half of the Russian natural gas lost in Europe. That rapid response reinforced European energy security and strengthened America’s geopolitical position. European companies now hold the largest regional share of long term U.S. LNG contracts anywhere — a clear vote of confidence in American reliability and steady production from states like Pennsylvania that make those commitments possible.
As the EU ambassador to the U.S., Jovita Neliupšienė, said this week, “by turning off the tap on Russian energy and cutting off Putin’s war funds, the EU now imports more U.S. natural gas than the rest of the world combined … . This cooperation with our top ally strengthens our shared security.”
The value of expanding the global natural gas market cannot be understated for our nation and Pennsylvania. Natural gas development generates tens of billions of dollars in annual economic activity and supports tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs, bolstering local tax bases, powering manufacturers and sustaining small businesses across the commonwealth.
There’s broad recognition that Pennsylvania can play an even greater role in the next chapter of American energy leadership, including through developing an LNG export facility in the Philadelphia region. With abundant resources, world class workers and access to major ports, Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to connect Appalachian production to global markets.
The summit in Pittsburgh comes at a pivotal moment. Federal policymakers and industry leaders are debating the future of U.S. LNG exports and critically needed permitting reforms at a time of rising global demand and geopolitical competition. These discussions reflect a broader recognition — Pennsylvania natural gas is a strategic national advantage.
Pennsylvania has the resources, our allies have the demand, and the decisions we make today will determine whether the next decade builds on American LNG leadership — or constrains it.
Jim Welty is president of the Pittsburgh-based Marcellus Shale Coalition.
