Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times,
Beneath the hills of Appalachia lies the nation's largest natural gas-producing basin, yet many of the pipelines needed to move this vital resource are operating near capacity.
A worker on the production floor at Pioneer Pipe in Marietta, Ohio, on Oct. 25, 2016. Replacing aging gas pipelines is critical to preventing leaks, spills, and explosions. Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMeanwhile, demand for electricity is growing faster than it has in years. Data centers accounted for 50 percent of that demand growth in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency.
In the famous "Data Center Alley" of northern Virginia, energy giant Williams Companies is expanding its Transco natural gas pipeline system, while developers are proposing to build gas-fired power plants adjacent to data centers to bypass traditional grid interconnections, according to Global Energy Monitor.
Enlarging the support network for ramped-up natural gas production involves far more than installing and replacing pipes. Systems require stations that maintain the pressure to move gas over hundreds of miles, through processing plants, storage facilities, and metering stations. They also require connections to power plants, factories, export terminals, and local distribution networks.
Industry experts say this infrastructure network must continue modernizing to improve reliability and reduce supply bottlenecks.
"We need to build an awful lot mor
