How Shale Gas Will Rock the World: A Belated Second Chorus
How Shale Gas Will Rock the World: A Belated Second Chorus
“Shale Gas Will Rock the World: Huge discoveries of natural gas promise to shake up the energy markets and geopolitics. And that's just for starters. That was a May 10, 2010, Wall Stree Journal post at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303491304575187880596301668.html by by Amy Myers Jaffe was also talking about about a subject of discussed in earlier posts on this blog—massive increases in natural gas reserves because of new drilling techniques to develop gas from shale. But, being a business newspaper it noted several key additions.
Besides repeating much already said in other articles, the Journal author considered “game-changing” implications. First, there is a generally good implication that large amounts of cheap domestic natural gas will bring more affordable prices for users of natural gas.
Furthermore, the domestic may slow or reverse the rise of energy imports for some time, possibly decades. There had been fears of an OPEC-like cartel of gas producers, but domestic supplies can make imports redundant and more costly than domestic supplies. Better still, increased supplies are also in Europe and elsewhere.
Lastly, in the good, natural gas is four hydrogen atoms and only one carbon atom. Thus, a greater part of energy use coming from gas would slow the rise of possible global warming.
However, the article had some possibly bothersome implications. Many alternative energy developments (such as wind and solar) are predicated on rising energy costs. Long-term supplies of natural gas mean that that alternatives become a poorer choice for business investors … and for voters who are the ultimate investors in government research.
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My note: Several years ago there was an entertaining movie called, “Who Killed the Electric Automobile.” If natural gas supplies continue rising and prices keep falling, ther may be a movie entitled, “Who Killed the Electric Windmill.”
“Shale Gas Will Rock the World: Huge discoveries of natural gas promise to shake up the energy markets and geopolitics. And that's just for starters. That was a May 10, 2010, Wall Stree Journal post at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303491304575187880596301668.html by by Amy Myers Jaffe was also talking about about a subject of discussed in earlier posts on this blog—massive increases in natural gas reserves because of new drilling techniques to develop gas from shale. But, being a business newspaper it noted several key additions.
Besides repeating much already said in other articles, the Journal author considered “game-changing” implications. First, there is a generally good implication that large amounts of cheap domestic natural gas will bring more affordable prices for users of natural gas.
Furthermore, the domestic may slow or reverse the rise of energy imports for some time, possibly decades. There had been fears of an OPEC-like cartel of gas producers, but domestic supplies can make imports redundant and more costly than domestic supplies. Better still, increased supplies are also in Europe and elsewhere.
Lastly, in the good, natural gas is four hydrogen atoms and only one carbon atom. Thus, a greater part of energy use coming from gas would slow the rise of possible global warming.
However, the article had some possibly bothersome implications. Many alternative energy developments (such as wind and solar) are predicated on rising energy costs. Long-term supplies of natural gas mean that that alternatives become a poorer choice for business investors … and for voters who are the ultimate investors in government research.
--
My note: Several years ago there was an entertaining movie called, “Who Killed the Electric Automobile.” If natural gas supplies continue rising and prices keep falling, ther may be a movie entitled, “Who Killed the Electric Windmill.”
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