Report: US natural gas reserves 35% more than thought
According to a report released last week by the Potential Gas Committee, U.S. natural gas reserves are 35% higher than what experts thought just two years ago. The discovery of the new reserves was enabled by new technology that allows for drilling in shale rock, writes the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The U.S. has enough natural gas to fuel current consumption levels for the next one-hundred years. Natural gas currently supplies 20% of the U.S. electricity supply. While it only provides 10% of Virginia’s electricity, it is the primary home heating source for roughly one-third of Virginia’s households. Virginia is home to two of the 100 largest natural gas fields in the U.S. Many experts also believe there are substantial untapped natural gas reserves off Virginia’s coast.
America and Virginia’s abundant natural gas supplies can be one solution to America’s dependence on foreign energy. T. Boone Pickens and others want to convert natural gas into fuel for automobiles to replace foreign-imported gasoline. Natural gas will also help America combat the rising threat of global climate change. Burning natural gas produces just half of the carbon emissions as coal.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch editorial staff writes in support of tapping into America’s and Virginia’s natural gas reserves – whether on land or offshore – to cure our dependence on foreign energy and reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global climate change.
The U.S. shouldn’t use that as an excuse to slack off on alternative energy efforts, or to forego greater investments in nuclear power. The country needs a broad spectrum of reliable and abundant energy sources. But fossil fuels will continue to make up a major part of the equation for years, if not decades. Start drilling – now.”
