Click image to enlarge Data source: US Energy Information Administration Link to chart data

Global View

Natural gas has the lowest carbon content of any fossil fuel. Combustion can take place at high temperatures resulting in energy efficiencies that can exceed 50% in the most efficient power plants burning natural gas. Pollution from burning natural gas, other than carbon dioxide, can be minimized by modern pollution control equipment.

Global consumption of natural gas has doubled in the last 25 years and is now responsible for over 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, 20% of the world total. Despite its relative carbon advantage over other fossil fuels, the use of natural gas must also be constrained to limit global warming.

Natural gas is easily transported through pipelines from resource areas to consumers. In gaseous form, however, it is impractical to transport across oceans. For international shipping trade, natural gas is first chilled to low temperatures where it condenses into a clear, colorless, odorless liquid. At a temperature of minus 259 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 161 degrees Celsius) liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be transported in specially designed ships. Growing international demand for energy has created a boom in natural gas liquefaction and LNG shipping.

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United States

Despite official predictions of rapidly increasing use of natural gas, consumption of has declined slightly in this century in response to sharply increasing gas prices. Attractive prices have spurred drilling, but production has also remained flat to declining. Imports of LNG, which are less than 3% of US gas supplies, have also remained relatively flat. The boom in gas-fired power plants in the last few years has not resulted in increased consumption in the US.

Click image to enlarge Data source: EIA Link to chart data

California

Gas-fired generation accounts for about 40% of California’s electricity supply. A decrease in the use of coal-fired power in response to global warming will likely result in the use of more natural gas in the near term. Some natural gas will be needed to balance the state’s electricity system for many years in the future, even if a majority of power is generated from non-fossil resources. To meet the state’s long term climate goals, the use of gas-fired electricity should be minimized.