You Can’t Eat Without Natural Gas

Most don’t realize the vital role natural gas plays in food security. It serves as the core ingredient in the production of ammonia, as well as the power source to produce fertilizer during manufacturing. In fact, 70% of the cost of nitrogen fertilizers is attributable to the cost of natural gas.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and

Vladimir Putin’s

decision to cut off pipelines supplying Europe have caused natural-gas prices to skyrocket. In August, European natural-gas prices were nearly 10 times what they were in the summer of 2021. Approximately three quarters of fertilizer production capacity in Europe is now so expensive to operate it has been taken offline, pushing fertilizer prices up more than 80%. They could go even higher, forcing difficult decisions onto governments and regulators. Most will choose heating homes over making fertilizer every time.

Often left out of discussions about energy is that fertilizer costs have driven much of the 18% increase in food prices in the past year. Wealthy nations can absorb the shock of higher prices. Poor countries can’t. And when farmers can’t afford fertilizer, crop yield is reduced. According to Politico, the U.N.’s Global Crisis Response Group found more than 60 countries are now struggling to afford food imports.

Cindy McCain,

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. food program, said the food crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion “is forcing us to take from the hungry to feed the starving,” predicting a famine that will kill millions in impoverished nations. These humanitarian crises could be politically destabilizing, and it is in the U.S. national interest to act swiftly. President Biden must answer the call.

While the U.S. will continue to provide increased food aid, that is a short-term fix. The U.S. possesses the world’s largest proven natural-gas reserves. We have the ability to produce it quickly and can move it abroad to protect our allies without burdening U.S. customers with higher costs.

The only thing that holds us back is the lack of domestic infrastructure to get that energy where it’s needed. Too many industry projects are stymied by years of government permitting delays, political spin and misinformation, and a regulatory environment that makes energy affordability, global energy security and climate-change mitigation even harder to achieve. Leaving such politicking behind will benefit everyone.

More natural-gas exports can stabilize allied democracies and protect citizens from a looming winter season where energy shortages are a real risk. They can reduce costs and provide the essential feed stock for repowering fertilizer plants to increase output and better secure global food supplies. And natural gas can aid in the fight against climate change by providing a low-carbon alternative to nations that currently rely on coal. The U.S. has driven its carbon emissions to 30-year lows using natural gas.

We live in a complicated world, and now isn’t the time for short-sighted political thinking about energy. Natural gas is the best choice for a foundational energy supply that increases global security, helps the world meet its climate targets faster, and mitigates the looming global food crisis. My hope is that my former colleagues in Washington recognize the role the U.S. can play, sooner rather than later. We can’t afford to wait.

Ms. Heitkamp, a Democrat, served as a U.S. senator from North Dakota, 2013-19. She is a leadership council co-chairman for Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future.