New Study: Illinois benefits from natural gas use
Springfield, Ill., June 27, 2017 – The Illinois Petroleum Council today released a new study on the benefits natural gas brings to the state in terms of consumer savings, family-sustaining jobs and economic growth. The study shows that all 50 states benefit from natural gas produced domestically, including non-producing states.
“Natural gas is powering more than just our houses in Illinois,” said Executive Director James Watson. “As the home state of the Chicago Cubs, 2016 World Series Champions, we are proud to say our champs are hitting homeruns with bats that are milled with machinery powered by electricity that’s increasingly generated with natural gas. Not to mention that at Wrigley Field the fertilizer that makes the infield and outfield grass a verdant green is likely made with a nitrogen product made from ammonia, which is manufactured from natural gas.”
The study by ICF International examined the economic benefits and opportunities from the entire natural gas value chain, including the production of natural gas, its transportation and end uses like power generation and manufacturing.
Natural gas benefited Illinois in 2015 in the following ways:
- Supported 149,611 or 2.6 percent of jobs in the state
- Contributed $18.86 billion to the state’s economy
“From power generation for homes and businesses that benefit from affordable and reliable electricity, to the industry’s skilled workforce that produces natural gas, to pipelines and the workers who build them, the advantages of natural gas are wide-ranging,” said API President and CEO Jack Gerard. “With energy week in full swing, this study is another example of the job and consumer benefits of natural gas across the country.”
The study found that consumers in all 50 states will save an estimated $655 by 2040 from natural gas production, transportation and other uses such as electricity generation.
Other report highlights on the benefits of natural gas production, its transportation and end uses throughout the value chain include:
- By 2040, consumers across the country will save an estimated $100 billion, or $655 per household, from the increased use of natural gas throughout our economy – from manufacturing to generating affordable electricity.
- In 2015, the natural gas supply chain supported 3 percent of the U.S. economy, including direct, indirect and induced activities and jobs associated with natural gas.
- In 2015, natural gas supported more than 4 million jobs across the country from production to end uses like manufacturing. That number is expected to rise to 6 million jobs by 2040.
The full study containing the state specific information for Illinois is available on API’s website.
The Illinois Petroleum Council is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 40 million Americans.
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