Achieving the decarbonization goals outlined by the Biden administration requires a thoughtful, deliberate transition that takes into consideration reliability, affordability and portability. But, unintended consequences that an outright ban on certain resources may bring also need to be examined, oil and natural gas executives said last week.

Executives from the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), American Gas Association (AGA), National Grid plc and BP Energy Co. shared a virtual stage last week to participate in a conversation hosted by OurEnergyPolicy exploring the role of natural gas in the future energy mix. OurEnergyPolicy is an organization aimed at facilitating “substantive, responsible” dialogue on energy policy issues.

At the core of the hour-long conversation was the...