A simple fact: As we move to electrify everything—to power our electric cars, heat our homes and charge our phones—we will need more electricity. In fact, global energy use will rise by nearly 50% by 2050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
At the same time, the realities of climate change make it increasingly important that we produce low-cost, low-carbon energy to meet this skyrocketing demand.
Enter the golden age of natural gas: this reliable, affordable energy source provides a right here, right now solution to both energy production and emissions reduction. And given that our 33,000 miles of pipelines already transport about one-third of the nation’s natural gas, Williams is perfectly positioned to help our country move into a clean energy future. Our assets reach from the Northwest to the Gulf and into the Northeast, making natural gas the backbone of the American energy supply and putting Williams in a strategic location for continued growth.
With some thoughtful regulatory reform to help us move forward, natural gas can lead the way for low-carbon, utility-scale electricity generation across the country.
More than a Century of Experience
Founded in 1908, Williams has grown into one of the largest natural gas providers in the United States. We provide a differentiated energy investment opportunity with accretive acquisitions, high-return growth projects, strong shareholder returns and record earnings. Williams’ annual adjusted EBITDA grew by 15% year-over-year between 2021 and 2022, and our adjusted earnings per share increased by 37% over that same period.
We are continuing this growth as we place critical projects and expansions into service. Williams recently acquired MountainWest assets, and we are building out the full value chain for first-of-its-kind NextGen Gas. We also are seeing positive progress in advancing our wellhead-to-market strategies.
Removing Millions of Tons of CO2 from the Air
Just as important as our business success, however, is our critical role in reducing CO2 emissions. As we remove coal from the market and replace it with natural gas-sourced power generation, we are proving that natural gas is one of our most powerful and practical tools to help us solve today’s energy challenges.
To put it simply, the more natural gas we use, the cleaner our air. Gas-fired power generation increased from 18% to 37% across the United States from 2005 to 2021, which coincided with a 36% drop in emissions within our national power sector. This decline equaled a reduction of 500 million metric tons of CO2 from our air—the equivalent of removing 11 million gasoline-powered cars from American roads every year.
We realize that renewable technologies such as wind, solar and hydroelectric are critical to near- and long-term solutions. However, we also know that natural gas and natural gas infrastructure is more dispatchable, efficient and flexible than these technologies currently offer. Natural gas allows us to efficiently manage clean energy delivery through the peaks and valleys of energy demand, which is exactly what we need while renewable and emerging technologies scale and reach their full potential.
We are also incorporating renewable energy into our own technology. We are currently developing projects that will enhance our solar capacity and offset 16% of our total estimated annual energy demand at Williams’ facilities, in addition to expanding our capabilities in hydrogen-based energy storage and transport.
More Infrastructure Means More Affordable and Reliable Energy
We need to tackle permitting reform to create more natural gas infrastructure and ensure our energy supply can meet growing demand. A streamlined permitting process would allow for faster and more cost-effective development of natural gas infrastructure, lowering energy costs for people worldwide and helping to further reduce our carbon footprint.
Natural gas offers the solution for one of the most complex challenges of our time: producing affordable and reliable energy while meeting our climate goals. Enabling the efficient build-out of our nation’s natural gas infrastructure is critical to our work reducing carbon output and creating energy security for our country.
Given our existing abundant supplies, the United States stands ready to enter the golden age of natural gas. Today, we have the opportunity to leverage our nation’s natural gas supply and help our customers and stakeholders meet their climate goals. As the best-in-class operator of the critical infrastructure that supports clean energy, Williams stands at the vanguard of a low-carbon future.