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6.12.02 21st Century Gas: Experts discuss what's new and improved with natural gas It's difficult to think there's much of a future for a product that can't be seen, smelled, heard, felt or tasted. Nevertheless, that doesn't stop proponents of natural gas from gushing about the benefits of this invisible commodity. The American Gas Association, for instance, calls it "America's natural wonder" and "The fuel of the 21st Century." But before expounding on natural gas' sunny days ahead, one question: What exactly is natural gas? Natural gas was formed long before the giants of Jurassic Park pounded around. Its formation began when plants and animals in prehistoric lakes and seas died, sank to the bottom and were covered by sand and mud. Over time, the pressure and heat of the earth changed these plants and animals into natural gas, forming deposits deep in the earth. A vapor at normal temperatures, natural gas primarily is composed of methane, but also contains propane, butane, nitrogen, helium, Co2 and trace amounts of gas. It is retrieved trough the drilling of deep wells, purified, then transported for residential and commercial use through 2 million miles of pipe. Then it's used in numerous ways -- heating homes and water, drying clothes, warming fireplaces, air conditioning, light outdoor lamps, cooking inside or out, melting snow or powering backup generators. The earliest known practical use of natural gas is believed to be about 900 AD when the Chinese used it for brine evaporation. They are said to have developed gas wells 2,000 feet deep with bamboo pipelines for gas and liquid transportation. So, now that we know what natural gas is, what is it not? For one thing, natural gas is not petroleum, or the kind of gas you put in your car The two often are confused, leading to misconceptions about natural gas. "The most common misconception is that when gasoline prices go up, natural gas prices go up," says Greg Koll, a senior utilization engineer with Metropolitan Utilities District. "That's not necessarily true." The United States is largely dependent on foreign countries for petroleum but gets 99 percent of its natural gas from North America, providing 25 percent of all energy used. There are abundant supplies of it, too. "They're projected to last with current technologies for 100 years," Koll says. Not only is it abundant, but also it's efficient, too. About 90 percent of the gas produced is delivered to customers as usable energy. In contrast, notes M.U.D., "only about 27 percent of the energy converted to electricity reaches the customer." The company also notes that "on average, electricity costs four times more to use" than natural gas. It's also less expensive than the use of heating oil, propane or kerosene. M.U.D.'s residential gas sales averaged 57 cents per therm in 2000, a therm equivalent to 100,000 British thermal units (Btu). The rate was 25 percent lower than the national average. Finally, natural gas is relatively environmentally friendly, especially compared to electricity, which comes from the burning of coal and produces far more emissions. Natural gas, says Koll, "is a cleaner-burning fuel than other fuels." So, given the wonders of this "natural wonder," one would figure the use of natural gas to be... heating up. It is. Natural gas is used in more than 52 million homes and businesses in the United States, serving more than 60 million customers. M.U.D. has more than 2,000 miles of pipe serving more than 170,000 customers. Of the single-family homes completed in 1999 in the United States, 70 percent featured natural gas. That continues a longtime trend. Since 1990 natural gas use has increased 35 percent (though customers paid less for their gas in 1998 than they did in 1987 in inflation-adjusted dollars). By 2015 its use is projected to grow by 45 percent. So what else does the future hold for the "fuel of the 21st Century?" How about powering cars? Yeah, yeah, we know we said natural gas was not to be confused with petroleum, which does fuel cars. But so can natural gas. There are a handful of vehicles in the United States that use compressed natural gas to operate, most of them in California. "They're more expensive in up front cost," says Koll, "but if it can operate off natural gas it usually can do so less expensively than by purchasing gasoline." Such vehicles include a few of M.U.D.'s trucks, which can switch use between natural gas and petroleum. Perhaps more practical, Koll says, is the use of fuel cells. "You'll probably see more and more fuel cells used in the future," he says. In fact, they're being used right now in Omaha at the First National Bank of Omaha's technology center downtown. Fuel cells take natural gas and remove everything but a hydrogen molecule. An electron is split off the hydrogen molecule, creating a direct current that's then changed to alternating current, similar to the power provided by utility companies. A steam by-product is used as a backup heat source for the building. The First National Technology Center features four 40,000-pound fuel cells costing $650,000 each. The system costs $3.4 million overall. "They're totally green," says John Lehning, senior facilities officer with First National Bank of Omaha and the man overseeing construction of the bank's 633-foot tower. "You burn natural gas, not a fossil fuel, and their by-product is clean air, heat and hot water." The hot water, he notes, often is used to keep the center's outside walk areas free from snow and ice. "We can have a six-inch snow fall and a couple of hours later, the walkways will be clear." Koll expects to see fuel cells being used in homes one day, the system currently being tested in residences throughout the country. Fuel cells also can power vehicles without harmful emissions. Koll also touts the future use of natural gas in "microturbines," which he describes as a "small generating plant. The microturbine uses natural gas in a combustion process to create electricity," he says. The microturbines presently inn use can power small office buildings, though they can only be used up to five years before needing to be replaced. "I don't know of anything, as far as fuels, that natural gas can't do that another fuel can," says Koll. |
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