Natural Gas Surpassing Coal As Primary Source Of Utility Fuel

Six years ago, new proposed rules for clean air energy pushed for the retirement of coal-powered electricity plants. The inevitable shutdown of coal-burning plants risked the occurrences of blackouts and surges in electricity prices. During those times, roughly 44 percent of electricity was generated by coal. 

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Such fears proved unfounded after all, as natural gas, an energy source that emits 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide in electricity conversion than coal, has picked up the slack in energy generation. Back then, natural gas was used to produce only 22 percent of total electricity production. And forecasts see natural gas surpassing coal as the leading electricity generation fuel by 2020.

Currently, the percentage share of coal in electricity generation is 33 percent, the same figure as natural gas. It is said that this year will mark the starting point of natural gas surpassing coal as the primary source of utility fuel. And that has happened with the price of electricity being 40 percent lower than it was in 2010. 

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The nation’s shale boom has been a major factor for this trend as natural gas became a cheap and abundant alternative to coal. Additionally, natural gas is seen as the more environment-friendly and efficient option. The growth of natural gas plants has made the drive for sustainability in electricity generation possible. 

Brian Alfaro and his company, Primera Energy LLC, aims to make the country self-sufficient in energy and oil supply by maximizing production and minimizing the energy sector’s impact to the environment. Read more about the industry by visiting this blog.

The Role Of Natural Gas On The Road Toward Sustainability

As of 2015, coal no longer reigns supreme as the primary fuel for electric power in the United States. It has already been overtaken by natural gas. For many people, this is the biggest boon in the energy sector that can be hoped for. 

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Between the noxious fumes and the high volume of greenhouse gases produced, the continued use of coal in electricity production has been a stumbling block in U.S. environmental policy. Calling for the eventual phasing out of coal has been an uphill battle until relatively recently, when a significant increase in natural gas production made it a very viable alternative or transitional source of energy. 

Natural gas is the cleanest of the fossil fuels and produces half as much carbon dioxide as an equivalent unit of coal when burned. It is also composed mainly of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas. The methane component is burned off when natural gas is used as fuel, which eliminates the risk of it escaping to the atmosphere. 

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For years, natural gas has been used throughout the country for heating and has seen use as a fuel for energy production. Most natural gas consumption for energy has traditionally been domestic due to initial difficulties in transportation, and the risk of leaks has been a constant concern in the industry. Regardless, burning natural gas as a fuel comprises a lucrative alternative to flaring it in situ. 

Recent developments in extraction technology have made it possible for the natural gas industry to expand, given the growing needs for energy. And because the U.S. sits on now economically viable deposits of natural gas, further exploration and development also offer a degree of domestic energy security. 

Brian Alfaro heads Primera Energy, a company with significant investments in oil and natural gas exploration in Texas. Visit this blog for more updates on the oil and gas industry.

Keeping Natural Gas Green: The Need to Prevent Methane Leaks

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Natural gas, known commonly as the “cleanest” of the fossil fuels, has the potential to reduce significantly the world's reliance on the heavily polluting coal as an energy source, thus cutting greatly on emissions and reducing the environmental impact of energy production as a whole.

However, natural gas has long since been a double-edged sword, comprised mainly of the noxiously polluting hydrocarbon methane. Natural gas energy offers both a challenge and a solution in itself. Consuming the natural gas as energy destroys the methane, creating energy and much lower pollutant emissions in the process.

Most of the pollution derived from natural gas comes in the commercial production of oil. When no market for natural gas is available, it is often flared (burned) or vented for safety purposes relating to the pressure of the underground oil reservoir. This is also the primary source of pollution associated with natural gas.

A considerable amount of pollution is also produced by the gradual leaking of the gas from natural gas production itself, the exact volume of which has only lately been identified. For it bo become truly green, the natural gas industry must reduce leaks to negligible amounts (less than 1 percent). Developments to ensure the effective sealing of natural gas across the entire production chain is necessary to prevent leaks from taking place.

Until recently, leaks of methane have been very difficult to detect due to the odorless nature of the gas. The rotten egg smell associated with natural gas is in fact added to the process and was one of the original ways that leaks were detected. New technology promises to automate the process of detecting gas leaks that they may be remedied almost immediately.

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In addition, industry groups and government entities alike must establish clear guidelines to reduce leaks across the industry itself. Strong regulatory requirements could translate to better monitoring of gas leaks and the standardization of measuring and sealing technologies industry-wide.

Brian Alfaro and his company, Primera Energy, are dedicated to both increasing investor value and reducing their operations' environmental impact. For more on his company's oil and gas operations in Texas, visit this LinkedIn page.