Much like clean water, a running vehicle, and cell phone service, energy is one of the things we don’t pay much attention to until we don’t have it. This isn’t a comfort that many people of the world have–and Kelcy Warren, Executive Chairman for Energy Transfer, is doing his part to help people around the world get the energy they need to thrive.
Currently, natural gas and oil provide 80% of energy around the world. The global population isn’t getting any smaller, which means that energy demand will continue to increase over time. Around the world, nearly 3 billion people are living in a condition known as “energy poverty,” meaning they don’t have reliable access to power.
According to the World Health Organization, about four million people die annually due to conditions that are primarily linked to using household energy sources like charcoal, dung, crop waste, and wood. These energy sources work in the moment, but create household air pollution that can cause illness. Countries that use other energy sources–including oil, coal, and natural gas–are working to decrease the production of fossil fuels. This results in developing nations struggling to access these fuel sources, which can put economic growth at a standstill.
According to Kelcy Warren, “We are proud to be in a position to help these developing countries through our natural gas export operations, and we believe that increasing the availability of natural gas around the world will make the biggest impact on lowering carbon emissions. In total, Energy Transfer exports more natural gas liquids (NGLs) than any other company or country, and our percentage of worldwide NGL exports represents approximately 20% of the world market.”
There’s no doubt that the way the world uses energy is changing, and it’s hard for many countries to quickly develop the resources that they need to create the systems required to rely completely on renewable energy resources. Rather than working to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, Energy Transfer is working to create systems that allow new and time-trusted technologies to work together. Pairing the use of fossil fuels with the use of new energy sources can allow for a reliable change in the way the world is provided with electricity, and can help developing nations continue to grow.
The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it clear that it’s important to have several sources of energy, rather than only relying on renewable energy. The combination of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources allows countries to rest assured that they’ll have access to the energy they need, even when the unexpected occurs.
There are many ways to approach the world’s energy crisis, and it’s likely that natural gas will lead the way in making energy more accessible around the globe. The natural resource’s abundance means that it’s readily available and can pair well as countries continue to explore the renewable energy resources that make the most sense for their citizens.
See more about Kelcy Warren here: https://utsystem.edu/board-of-regents/current-regents/kelcy-l-warren