The inherent cleanliness of natural gas when compared with those other fuels, coupled with the high efficiency of natural gas equipment, means that substituting gas for the other fuels can help reduce the emission of the air pollutants that produce smog and acid rain and that could exacerbate the "greenhouse" effect.

The natural gas system is extremely efficient as are most types of appliances and equipment that operate on natural gas. Energy efficiency refers to the energy input per unit of useful energy output. In other words, energy efficiency measures how much energy is used or lost in providing such things as hot water, steam, warm or cool air. The higher the energy efficiency, the greater the conservation of energy and the lower the environmental impacts.

When the entire cycle of producing, processing, transporting and using energy is considered, natural gas is delivered to the consumer with a "total energy efficiency" of about 90%, compared with about 27% for electricity. Moreover, gas appliances and equipment are extremely efficient as evidenced by the fact that the residential use of gas per customer is about 16% less today than it was in 1980.

Natural gas is a highly reliable North American energy source. Approximately 85% of the natural gas consumed in the United States is produced domestically from the nation's extensive gas resource base. Nearly all of the remaining 15% is produced in North America, primarily in Canada. In comparison, close to 60% of the oil used in the United States is imported from foreign countries, some of which are politically unstable.

Furthermore, natural gas is a reliable source of fuel not only because most of the supply is domestic, but also because the pipeline delivery system is underground and protected from weather-related disruptions.

This reliability is one of the reasons businesses that cannot afford power disruptions find gas-fired distributed electricity generation so attractive. For instance, McDonald's and other food chains are testing gas-based distributed generation because they cannot afford power outages that could destroy their food products.

Natural gas technologies can contribute to the United States' foreign trade offerings. An expanding domestic natural gas industry offers worldwide trade opportunities. The United States leads the world in terms of its natural gas infrastructure, and U.S. companies are furnishing equipment and expertise to countries in Central America, South America, Europe and the Far East that are just beginning to develop natural gas systems. In addition, a strong global market exists for gas-related products such as high-efficiency gas turbines.

The domestic natural gas industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers and helps fuel the economy. Besides providing one of the fuels that drive economic activity, the U.S. natural gas utility industry employs about 150,000 people. Roughly the same numbers of people currently work for oil and gas exploration and production companies.

Gas utilities have strong ties to the communities they serve, purchasing goods and services in addition to providing jobs. According to the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis, every $1 million of revenue generated by gas utilities increases national economic output by $2.66 million, employee earnings by $450,000 and employment by 14 workers.