How the Gulf Coast is helping write America’s next energy chapter
As America celebrates 250 years, it’s a chance to appreciate the American spirit that built this country and think seriously about how we carry it forward. For the Gulf Coast, we have seen that spirit grow from cowboys in Texas, shrimpers in Louisiana, and steelworkers in Alabama and Mississippi. One industry that has woven itself across the entire region is energy. It has been the backbone of this coast—powering homes, fueling industry, and driving the economy that built millions of good-paying jobs. Now, the Gulf Coast has a chance to lead again, shaping what American energy looks like for the next 250 years.
Today, the Gulf Coast is focused on writing the next chapter, continuing to produce the energy America runs on while finding smarter ways to manage emissions and continue to compete in the global market.
For more than a century, the refineries and petrochemical facilities dotting our coastline have powered this country and made the Gulf Coast one of the world’s premier energy hubs. Today, the region is home to 46% of U.S. refineries and 88% of U.S. petrochemical plants, and its refineries process more than 9 million barrels per day—55% of total U.S. refining capacity. The U.S. was the world’s largest LNG exporter in 2024, with Louisiana alone accounting for 61% of total shipments—and production across the region is projected to grow from 9.8 million barrels per day to 11.6 million by 2032. When the world needs energy, it looks to the Gulf Coast.
Producing at that scale also comes with responsibility, and that’s where carbon capture and storage (CCS) comes in. CCS allows the Gulf Coast to keep doing what it does best, producing energy at scale and supporting heavy industry like steel manufacturing, petrochemicals, and power generation, all while capturing CO₂ before it ever reaches the atmosphere. That CO₂ is then transported and stored deep underground, within the Gulf Coast’s superior geological formations that keep it stored for thousands of years.
The numbers make the case. Our member companies alone could capture approximately 100 million metric tons of CO₂ per year by 2040, and the Gulf Coast has the capacity to store 500 billion metric tons underground, which is more than 130 years’ worth of total U.S. industrial emissions. The economic picture is equally compelling. CCS projects could create or support thousands of full-time jobs and generate millions in new local tax revenues.
America’s 250th birthday is a celebration of the innovation and grit that made this country great. The Gulf Coast helped build this country, and we are in a position to keep leading the country. CCS isn’t a departure from what this region has always done—it’s the next chapter, keeping the Gulf Coast and its industries at the forefront of energy production, energy innovation, and American economic leadership for the next 250 years.
