HOUSTON — With electricity demand set to spike, U.S. energy companies are aiming to make sure natural gas is part of the world’s fuel mix for decades to come.
Chevron, Exxon Mobil and firms like pipeline operator Williams Cos. delivered a stark message here this week — at the CERAWeek by S&P Global energy conference — that the lights won’t turn on and data centers won’t run without U.S. liquefied natural gas spread across the globe.
They’re also pledging to crack down on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas with much more short-term planet-warming potential than carbon dioxide to meet federal regulations and address concerns about the industry’s effect on the environment. Chad Zamarin, Williams’ executive vice president of corporate strategic development, said his company has launched two satellites to detect methane leaks. Williams is striving for satellite monitoring around the clock.
“We’re not there,” Zamarin said Wednesday at CERAWeek. “The reality is we need to get there.”
