As the United States recovers from the pandemic, one thing has become abundantly clear: Life can change in an instant. In a world that has proven to be unpredictable, businesses that can adapt will prosper, while those who remain stuck in their ways will be left behind.

That’s why, at Williams, we’ve been embracing emerging technologies and adapting to clean energy demands. Central to our ability to meet clean energy demand today – and tomorrow – is our 30,000-mile natural gas network and the technology-driven flexibility that comes with it.

Currently, Williams is safely powering America with our reliable natural gas infrastructure that spreads across 26 states and serves 76 million homes and businesses. More than a century in the making, our comprehensive network moves 30% of the nation’s natural gas to cleanly power bustling cities, vibrant suburbs, and rural communities across this great land.

Our existing infrastructure powers major metropolitan areas like New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Seattle, and countless small towns dotted across the country. Energy demands are growing and Williams is positioned to meet it, cleanly.

In addition to our constantly modernized infrastructure, we also stand prepared to incorporate next-generation technologies such as carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) and increased usage of hydrogen as a fuel source. We have partnered with the Department of Energy and my alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, to develop hydrogen blending and efficient energy storage innovations. As the future of hydrogen is realized, we are ready to change with the times to continue our journey to net-zero carbon emissions.

This type of change has happened before in the energy sector, as numerous coal facilities have transitioned to natural gas. In fact, more than 100 coal-fired plants across the country have been replaced by natural gas generation over the last 10 years, reducing CO₂ emissions nationwide by hundreds of millions of tons. All told, the power sector has decreased its total CO₂ emissions by 33% since 2005. And while that illustrates the industry’s flexibility, there is more work to be done.

Today, there are still 75 coal-fired plants along Williams’ Transco pipeline system that runs between South Texas and New York. Besides spurring job growth, converting these coal plants to natural gas would reduce over 380 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions. This is the equivalent of removing 84 million cars from the road every year or sequestering the same amount of carbon that nearly a half-billion acres of forest could in one year.

As a leader in the energy space, we want to do more than provide safe, dependable power today. We want to make the world a better tomorrow. That is why we’ve committed to bold carbon reduction goals – because our 30,000-mile, established natural gas network is providing reliable clean energy today, and is well positioned to adapt to tomorrow’s clean energy technologies.