Natural Gas Increases are Diminishing
Carbon Emissions
U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are falling. Why? New data by a governmental branch is saying that the switch from coal to unconventional forms of natural gas is the main reason, followed by an unusually warm 2012 winter.
By Ken Silverstein
Coal-fired power, in fact, used to provide about half of the electric generation market, and it is now 34 percent. At the same time, natural gas from shale is rising, providing almost as much fuel for utilities as coal — but certainly trending higher. The result is fewer carbon dioxide emissions, notably less than in previous years, says the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Amid historically low natural gas prices and the warmest March ever recorded in much of the United States, coal’s share of total net generation dropped to 34 percent — the lowest level since at least January 1973,” says the agency. “Despite seasonally low loads, natural gas-fired generation grew markedly and accounted for 30 percent of overall net generation by March 2012. Total electricity demand fell this winter as warmer weather reduced home heating requirements.” READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE.
Filed Under: ARCHIVES • Coal • Feature Articles • Oil & Gas • Policy • Utilities
Tags: CO2 emissions • coal • natural gas • natural gas-fired power plant • power generation
Oil/Gas Industry: Trust us! We care, we really do. The rest of the us: No! 
Thanks for the info Fred! 
I think its a 10% mandate not 5%. 
To see this exciting change as "scary" seems incredibly short-sited to me. Between the increasing power demands caused by ...
Thanks for highlighting all the great work the Northern Colorado Chapter of CRES is doing. One small but important correction--the ...
Comment by fred kirsch on 7 August 2012:
Methane from production? Methane is what, 20x the greenhouse gas that CO2 is? You can’t publish an article about greenhouse gas without talking about methane emissions. Problem is we don’t know how much methane is coming from the hundreds of thousands, or millions of gas wells around the globe. Silverstein needs to ask more questions. How much do people get paid to rewrite and regurgitate press releases? Is it something I could do part time?
Comment by Sid Abma on 29 August 2012:
Natural gas is America’s energy source for security and Energy Independence.
Now lets teach America that this natural gas can be consumed much more efficiently than is being done right now.
Natural gas can be consumed to almost 100% energy efficiency by using the technology of Condensing Flue Gas Heat Recovery.
Instead of hot exhaust gases, COOL exhaust will be vented into the atmosphere.
Increase natural gas energy efficiency and further reduce CO2 emissions.
Natural gas can be consumed so efficiently that the WATER can be recovered from these combusted exhaust gases.
What natural gas is not wasted today, will be there to be used another day.