Empowering Appalachia
as the natural gas technology, use, and manufacturing hub of the future.
A year and a half ago, we cast a vision of Appalachia—catalyzed by ultra-low emissions natural gas and its derivative products—as a launchpad to a more efficient and sustainable future that lasts for generations. As a pioneer in advancing process innovation and new technologies, CNX is at the forefront of developing long-term energy and tech solutions that create Tangible, Impactful, Local opportunities across our region. 2023 was the dawn of America’s clean hydrogen era to which CNX’s low emission natural gas and cutting-edge fugitive coal mine methane (CMM) capture technology gave Appalachia’s regional hub aspirations a unique and distinctive advantage. By utilizing locally sourced natural gas and CMM for emissions-free hydrogen, CNX is transforming the energy landscape in Appalachia, and redefining the perception of the energy transition.
It is the very definition of Appalachia first: leveraging the resources, dedicated workforce, and manufacturing prowess that already exists here to generate more jobs and economic activity—particularly in disadvantaged energy communities—improve air quality, encourage partnerships with labor organizations, and strengthen our existing regional supply chain.
Since the launch of Appalachia First, others around the region have embraced a similar mindset joining us in our efforts. We view our successes and the partnerships we have forged as evidence that we are delivering on our promises, and that we were right to bet on Appalachia First.
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160 YearsAs a Community Partner
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≈$176,000Median Annual Compensation
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99%Local Employees
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$30+mInvested in local communities in last decade; committed additional $30 million in investments
A Truly Appalachia-First Vision
CNX’s “Produce It Here, Use It Here-First” Strategy benefits the region and significantly reduces global greenhouse gas emissions.
APPALACHIA FIRST BENEFITS
- Shorter supply chain = low carbon footprint
- Low carbon natural gas = low carbon footprint
- High environmental standards = low carbon footprint
- More domestic and economic development and more jobs
- Lower cost at higher reliability

EXPORT FIRST VISION
- Longer supply chain = high carbon footprint
- High carbon intensity inputs = high carbon footprint
- Low environmental standards = high carbon footprint
- Less domestic economic development and jobs
- Higher cost at lower reliability

While many debate the relative climate benefit or harm of U.S. LNG exports, data show that local/regional leveraging of our Appalachian-based inherent energy advantages along with local manufacturing not only benefit the region, but also the planet, by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT DUE TO A MICRO SUPPLY CHAIN
Appalachian natural gas enjoys several key advantages: ultra-low carbon intensity, close proximity to industrial demand and markets (50% of the U.S. population within a day’s drive of the region), extensive in-place infrastructure (existing highway, pipeline, river, and rail transportation networks), and a skilled labor workforce pool. Cumulatively, such benefits logically lead to policy that focuses first on displacing imported/foreign energy and goods with Appalachian-fueled regional manufacturing. Importing energy or products from overseas, particularly from China, makes no environmental, industrial, or logical sense. China procures most of its energy for manufacturing from the Middle East (oil) and from other distant regions (coal). That produces an energy supply chain of over 10,000 kilometers. Chinese-manufactured products must then be shipped to the U.S. and transported by rail or truck to reach consumers, which adds another 15,000 to 20,000 kilometers of supply chain. The cumulative carbon footprint of such a supply chain is staggering.
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LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT DUE TO ULTRA-LOW CARBON INTENSITY NATURAL GAS
CNX developed innovative technology for producing pad-level CNG and LNG. The technology utilizes geobaric energy, exploiting high gas pressures found naturally deep in shale formations. The total addressable market for this technology in the U.S. has the potential to displace all of the petroleum products imported from the Middle East. The technology could displace 56% of transatlantic and transpacific petroleum imports which would reduce global emissions by an impressive 80 million metric tonnes C02e on an annual basis.i
LNG imported to the U.S. is almost exclusively delivered to New England. Foreign LNG imports are necessary for New England due to limited pipeline interconnections and wrong-headed radical environmental policies that prohibit new pipeline infrastructure being built to connect with nearby Appalachian natural gas-producing regions. New England’s energy insecurity (and reliance on foreign LNG) has negative climate consequences. Yet if CNX’s innovative LNG technology was applied to deliver energy to New England and to displace these LNG foreign imports, it would have reduced global emissions by 78.8 million metric tonnes CO2e over the past decade.i
Similarly for U.S. LNG exports, according to a recent study published by Dr. Robert W. Howarth, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, The Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Exported from the United States, revised March 24, 2024, the greenhouse gas footprint of LNG is always larger than for natural gas consumed domestically, because of the large amount of energy needed, particularly to liquefy and transport the LNG. Greenhouse gas emissions from LNG are also larger than those from domestically produced coal, ranging from 44% to more than 2-fold greater for the average cruise distance of an LNG tanker.
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LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT DUE TO BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
The environmental standards for energy production and manufacturing in the United States are the highest in the world. When we import goods from China rather than making them domestically, the manufacturing is performed under Chinese environmental standards, and coal or imported oil are the primary fuels used to power the Chinese factories and grid.
Emissions from electricity in the U.S. used in manufacturing are 26% lower than emissions from electricity used in manufacturing in China. The U.S. produces less than half the CO2 emissions of China.ii
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MORE DOMESTIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Utilizing our regional energy resources locally and onshoring manufacturing will increase the domestic tax base, create family-sustaining jobs, and drive sustainable GDP growth. Consider the astounding impact of only one facet of Appalachia’s natural gas economy: hydrogen. Appalachia’s new hydrogen economy can be built using our ultra-low carbon intensity natural gas, which can catalyze over 30 unique projects deployed over the next 15 years, with the potential to create over 200,000 direct construction jobs and support an additional 490,000+ jobs on an indirect and induced basis. Appalachia’s hydrogen opportunity alone would generate more than $213 billion in economic output, would contribute over $116 billion into Pennsylvania’s Gross Regional Product, would result in almost $5 billion in state tax revenue, and would generate $18.5 billion in federal tax revenue.iii
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LOWER COST AT HIGHER RELIABILITY
Natural gas provides more affordable and reliable electricity than either solar photovoltaics or onshore wind in Pennsylvania. Subsidies, which force ratepayers to foot the bill in the form of higher taxes and costs, are the only way wind and solar can compete with natural gas. Grid reliability is severely impaired when relying heavily on wind and solar due to each’s inherent intermittency. Without taxpayer subsidies, wind costs 27% more and solar costs 60% more than natural gas.iv Additionally, CNX’s innovative CNG technology represents a paradigm shift in compressed natural gas production that drastically reduces capital and operating costs. CNG can provide the energy equivalent to diesel at less than half the current price while reducing well-to-wheel carbon emissions by 35%v and tailpipe SOx and NOx by approximately 40% and 90%vi, respectively. CNX’s innovative CNG technology also provides a 50%v reduction in well-to-pump carbon intensity compared to conventional CNG.
- Carbon intensity calculations based on data and methods in the study published by Dr. Robert W. Howarth, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, The Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Exported from the United States, revised March 24, 2024, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and the R&D GREET® 2023 Model (a full life-cycle emission model sponsored by the Argonne National Laboratory).
- Source: Shale Crescent USA
- Economic opportunities for Pennsylvania Sources: IMPLAN, Allegheny Conference on Community Development; March 2024
- Sources: Natural Renewable Energy Laboratory 2022 Annual Technology Baseline, EIA AEO
- Life Cycle Assessment of Innovative Low Carbon Aviation Fuels for Sustainable Skies – CNX Case Studies, ACLCA Conference 2022, Space, Aviation, Industry, Technical Session 6 A, CNX Resources, Inc., Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
- R&D GREET® 2023 Model, https://greet.anl.gov/ The Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies Model