End of King Coal--NG Now Top Fuel for US Electricity

[dohboi]

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/07/06/512192/king-coals-throne-under-threat-us-natural-gas-generation-rivals-coal-in-april/

U.S. Natural Gas Generation Rivaled Coal In April

Recently published electric power data show that, for the first time since EIA began collecting the 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 megawatthours, only slightly below generation from coal, at 96.0 million megawatthours.

If they were this close in April, I think it's safe to say that NG has taken the top spot by now.

[dsula]

I remember when everybody was screaming peak oil, and peak coal, and peak everything. And now look at that, peak everything is pushed back another 20 years.

[KingM]

I remember when everybody was screaming peak oil, and peak coal, and peak everything. And now look at that, peak everything is pushed back another 20 years.

Ah, yes, the "natural gas cliff."



From our very wise Montequest on July 7, 2005, almost exactly seven years ago:

Oil declines down a slope, gas declines down a cliff. The literature is replete with this fact.

And later that same year from the same font of wisdom:

Really, NG does fall off a cliff when production goes into decline. That is an undisputed fact. Even though oil and gas originate from the same organic matter, natural gas is different from oil by nature. It takes relatively little effort to extract gas. Gas doesn't taper off in production, while with oil you need to expend more energy driving the oil to the well hole. Natural Gas has a steep cliff as the pressure in the well drops and the production ceases. Unlike oil wells, the more wells you sink into a gas reserve, the more gas you will extract, but the quicker you will deplete the reserve.

[dohboi]

As I understand it, he's right about individual sources. Right now, we are drilling and fracking so furiously that we are more than replacing the gas that is lost from the places that are falling off their cliffs.

We'll see how long that can last.

[dinopello]

Right now, we are drilling and fracking so furiously that we are more than replacing the gas that is lost from the places that are falling off their cliffs.

Ha, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Wait til vehicle fleets get converted and structural demand for Nat Gas is on the rise, prices start to rise and frakking actually become profitable.

[KingM]

As I understand it, he's right about individual sources. Right now, we are drilling and fracking so furiously that we are more than replacing the gas that is lost from the places that are falling off their cliffs.

We'll see how long that can last.

Who knows. The only thing that seems clear to me is that the more strident and certain the opinion on this board, the more likely it is to be wrong.

[Windmills]

As I understand it, he's right about individual sources. Right now, we are drilling and fracking so furiously that we are more than replacing the gas that is lost from the places that are falling off their cliffs.

We'll see how long that can last.

Who knows. The only thing that seems clear to me is that the more strident and certain the opinion on this board, the more likely it is to be wrong.

Rather like your own?

Silly way to argue. Stick to the facts. It makes you look smarter since they're apparently going your way for the moment. Run with it for a while.