Williams Companies CEO Alan Armstrong said natural gas is crucial for the U.S. to maintain its leadership position in AI as energy demand surges from data centers.
Williams Companies handles about one-third of the natural gas in the U.S. through a pipeline network that spans more than 30,000 miles. Williams' network includes the 10,000 mile Transcontinental Pipeline, or Transco, a crucial artery that serves virtually the entire eastern seaboard including Virginia, the world's largest data center hub, and fast growing Southeast markets such as Georgia.
"Those groups that have very much had their brand be all green have come to us and said, 'We got to work with you guys. We've run out of alternatives — we can't meet the needs of our customers without using natural gas,'" Armstrong said, without disclosing names. The CEO said the U.S. has underinvested in natural gas capacity, with demand increasing 56% since 2005 while interstate capacity has increased by 26% over the same period and storage has expanded by 4%.