August 21, 2017

The Untapped Geopolitical Power of U.S. Natural Gas

By: Elizabeth Rosenberg and ​Neil Bhatiya

Many in the United States and among our foreign allies are deeply disappointed by President Trump’s retreat from global leadership. What is equally depressing is how the administration stands to squander an enormous and steadily growing source of geopolitical clout if it does not figure out how to manage U.S. energy abundance wisely.

Recent data from the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that the United States’ vast natural gas production capacity, and its growing role as an overseas gas exporter, can compete with all of the major global players in as little as five years. U.S. natural gas sales will shake up fundamental trading patterns and market pricing for this energy commodity. They will also undermine the clout of countries like Russia and Qatar, known for their natural gas abundance and their notorious capacity to stir up regional conflict.

Read the full piece in The National Interest.

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