Natural gas passes coal as the largest source of electricity in the US.

[Ziv]

No kidding! This is huge, though it may be temporary. Coal used to generate nearly 60% of our electricity and nukes 20%. As of last month, natural gas passed coal, if only by a whisker. Now gas and coal each supply 32% of our electricity and nukes are generating nearly 20%. Wow!
The next time some flunky says, "BEVs and EREV's pollute just as much because they use coal to generate the electricity" you can destroy them by telling them, "Haven't you heard? Coal generates less than 1/3 of our electricity, the rest comes from much cleaner sources. You really should research this stuff before you talk about something you don't know."

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/det...6990&src=email

http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/

[KyleH]

The US's new discovery of shale gas extraction allows for natural gas at the cheapest rates in the world. Only second to the middle east.

The guestimation is that the natural gas in shale (on American soil) can supply US's need for a few hundred years.

The use of natural gas in power plants means another step to lower dependency on foreign crude. Now we just have to work on the damn oil guzzling trucks. Why don't they understand that my electric guzzling Volt (in Sport mode) is the perfect answer--still only use $0.03/mile to zip around or $0.02/mile to be effecient! (Well, not really, I know people need the trucks to tow and haul at times, but sometimes when you seem people idling alone in traffic to work, it just make you grin on how much they spend on fuel each week--something that I don't have to.)

-KyleH

[Zythryn]

What I also found amazing is Nukes and renewables add up to a larger percentage than eithe coal or natural gas for the first time

[solar_dave]

The US's new discovery of shale gas extraction allows for natural gas at the cheapest rates in the world. Only second to the middle east.

The guestimation is that the natural gas in shale (on American soil) can supply US's need for a few hundred years.

The use of natural gas in power plants means another step to lower dependency on foreign crude. Now we just have to work on the damn oil guzzling trucks. Why don't they understand that my electric guzzling Volt (in Sport mode) is the perfect answer--still only use $0.03/mile to zip around or $0.02/mile to be effecient! (Well, not really, I know people need the trucks to tow and haul at times, but sometimes when you seem people idling alone in traffic to work, it just make you grin on how much they spend on fuel each week--something that I don't have to.)

-KyleH

Nat Gas in the trucks is the solution there.

Glad to see the nukes and renewables bumping up too and the coal sliding.

[bonaire]

I still wish the NG decline helped lower propane costs, but alas, it isn't tied to NG prices. We have a propane-based home heating system. These days, for power costs, I wish I was in my mother's house in Lewiston, NY where NG is piped in and electricity is .10/kWh and not .17/kWh as it is in SE PA. They complain about taxes in Western NY - but the energy prices easily help make up for it.

[saghost]

I still wish the NG decline helped lower propane costs, but alas, it isn't tied to NG prices. We have a propane-based home heating system. These days, for power costs, I wish I was in my mother's house in Lewiston, NY where NG is piped in and electricity is .10/kWh and not .17/kWh as it is in SE PA. They complain about taxes in Western NY - but the energy prices easily help make up for it.

I think it depends on where you are. I thought Propane was generally a byproduct of petroleum refining, but I gather a lot of it out west is related to natural gas. The nice thing about building up a natural gas infrastructure is it'll be relatively easy to transition to something renewable - Methane can come from a bunch of places, including biomass for example.

[tboult]

What I also found amazing is Nukes and renewables add up to a larger percentage than eithe coal or natural gas for the first time

Yep Nuke+renewables now > coal!
Here are two charts.. one on % of energy by source



the other on g/CO2 per source


The grid is getting green faster than expected :-)
Those people still using 2009 or 2010 data, which is the US GREET models in most studies use, are now pretty far off.


Ziv: love the "comeback"..

[flmark]

As I posted last year, don't get too excited about 'a hundred years' worth of fracked NG:
http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fue...-security.html
[My original post linked to a NYT article which is now unavailable, but this link will suffice]. Fracking stinks in so many ways and the absurd promises made by those who stand to profit should not be taken at face value.

And regarding propane, I am making my complete separation from this fossil fuel effective this summer:
Cold weather heat pumps (phase 1- 1st flr living and bedroom) just installed last week:
http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/en/...style-benefits
Cold weather heat pumps (phase 2- ducted upstairs bedroom- rarely used) to be installed next week:
http://trane.com/Residential/Product...B13-Heat-Pumps
Worst case scenario cold weather fire place insert will be final step
http://www.harmanstoves.com/en/Produ...od-Insert.aspx
Last month, I dumped propane water heater in favor of heat pump water heater
http://www.geappliances.com/heat-pump-hot-water-heater/ (still on special!!)
Most clothes drying done by outdoor air drying- cheapest electric dryer for when sun unavailable
Induction range/Convection oven is most efficient at getting heat to food and installed last year
http://www.geappliances.com/products...uction_ranges/

I figure that by September, I will be calling Propane Distributor to come and pick up tank

[saghost]

And regarding propane, I am making my complete separation from this fossil fuel effective this summer:

Do you have a good alternative for grilling? I suppose if you're committed and patient enough, there's the traditional charcoal, which is from renewable wood...

Solar hot water and a heat pump for the bedroom are on my list for this year. I'm not 100% off fossil fuels, and won't be, but I'm removing the big pieces progressively (and reducing repetitive bills at the same time, so I'll eventually be saving money, though right now I'm spending it instead...)

[cab]

Lately we've seen the smaller natural gas frackers start to go under and their leases all get gobbled up by the big oil companies. The big oil companies aren't bothering to drill in many cases given the current cost of natural gas. Basically, they can afford to sit on the drilling rights for years until they are really profitable - same basic plan with U.S. oil reserves. Big oil isn't going anywhere...they'll just evolve.