Taking a closer look at fossil fuels, the trend in consumption by the electrical power generation industry is shown in the following chart.[6] For over 60 years, coal has been the predominant fuel used to generate power in the U.S., however; there has been an upward trend in natural gas consumption and a downward trend in coal usage. This is due to replacing coal-fired generation plants with natural gas-fired generation stations.
Increased consumption of natural gas for electrical generation is due to the combined effect of ever increasing natural gas production, declining natural gas prices and an increased use of efficient and low-cost combined cycle technology. Also, due to regulatory pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from coal-fired power plants, electric utilities had no other choice but to adopt natural gas as a logical alternative.
Coal Age recently announced: “Recently published electric power data show that, for the first time since the Energy Information Administration (EIA) began collecting data, generation from natural gas-fired plants is virtually equal to generation from coal-fired plants, with each fuel providing 32% of total generation. In April 2012, preliminary data show net electric generation from natural gas was 95.9 million megawatt-hours (mw-hr), only slightly below generation from coal, at 96 million mw-hr. In April 2012, demand was low due to the mild spring weather. Also in April, natural gas prices as delivered to power plants were at a 10-year low. With warmer summer weather and increased electric demand for air conditioning, demand will increase, requiring increased output from both coal- and natural gas-fired generators.”[7]
It’s a well-proven fact that natural gas is clean, in fact the cleanest of all fossil fuels. Since natural gas is an organic compound, it does have a carbon footprint; however, its emissions levels of CO2, CO, NOx, SO2, particulates and mercury are anywhere from 40% to 100% cleaner than coal and 28% cleaner than petroleum.[8]
