Williams CEO: Natural gas is the enabler for our economy

Industry Overview & Growth Drivers - Natural gas is considered a key enabler for the US economy, especially for powering the next generation of technology and AI [3][4] - The industry views natural gas as America's affordability superpower, costing the equivalent of 50 cents per gallon of gasoline on an energy equivalent basis [3] - The industry believes natural gas can scale fast, meet customer needs, and is the most dispatchable and fastest speed to market capability at scale [4][7] - The industry emphasizes the need for an "all the above" approach to energy, but sees natural gas as a crucial resource in the near term [8] Infrastructure & Regulatory Challenges - The industry expresses hope that the current administration is recognizing the affordability challenge and speeding up approvals for energy projects [8] - Lack of infrastructure is hindering economic investment in regions like New England and New York, where 20% of the population resides but receives less than 2% of economic investment for manufacturing and data centers [10][11] - Some states are perceived to be "weaponizing" the permitting process, creating regulatory burdens that make it difficult to build infrastructure [12][13] - It has been over a decade since new infrastructure was built in New York [10] Company Strategy & Future Outlook - Williams handles roughly a third of all natural gas in the US, operating 33,000 miles of pipelines [1] - Williams is focused on ensuring the US has the infrastructure and energy available to reach its full potential, engaging with hyperscalers to meet their needs [15][16] - Williams is working on projects to power data centers in the next 12-18 months, while also expanding infrastructure to build out the grid over time [18]