"Natural gas is vital to Georgia’s energy mix” is the name of an opinion piece recently published in the AJC, penned by James Shaw, Georgia Public Service Commissioner.

 

In it, Shaw addresses concern about safety and carbon footprint of natural gas and states “Natural gas is not the enemy of the clean energy transition that is underway — just the opposite.”

 

He writes that, "misguided efforts to ban the use of natural gas, defund the infrastructure that transports it and block permits for new interstate pipelines will have real life consequences in just a few years as supplies become constrained in many states, including Georgia. Economic development will not only suffer, but consumers who can least afford it will be left with higher cost alternatives.”

 

“We all want clean energy, but clean without affordability is not realistic. Likewise, clean without reliability — especially during bitterly cold winters — is not a solution. Long-term energy policy cannot sway with ever-changing popular sentiment. Natural gas is the stable energy source that allows renewable energy resources to be scaled cleanly, reliably and affordably. Solutions to further this net-zero transition must be practical and preserve energy security while we continue to provide affordable access to energy for all customers,” he continues.

 

For more information and to read the full article, visit AJC.com here. 

 

Jason Shaw 2023, 'Opinion: Natural Gas is Vital Part of Georgia's Energy Mix', The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1 February, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.