Liquified Natural Gas May Be the Answer to America's Energy Headaches
The United States is the OPEC of Liquified Natural Gas
COMMENTARY | While jobs in manufacturing, automotive, and even the petroleum industry may be down, good news comes in from the Lake Charles, Louisiana. Last July 22nd, 2011, Lake Charles Exports, LLC, was approved by the Federal Energy Department to begin exporting up to 2 billion cubic feet of liquified natural gas a day, for the next 25 years. The company plans to make the modifications to their facility to include exports.
So far, the exporting side of LNG from the Lake Charles, Louisiana port is only approved for trading with countries with a free-trade agreement with the United States, but the government agency is reviewing whether to include countries without one, also. Other companies like Cheniere Energy Partners, based in Houston, have already been authorized to export to countries with or without the agreement. But, the possibility of new jobs in a distressed economy is only the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to the benefits of this wonderful resource.
Liquified natural gas (or LNG, for short) is natural gas, cooled to a temperature of -260 degrees Fahrenheit, and offers a promising future of energy usage here in the United States, and globally. It was in 1912 when the first facility was built to store natural gas in its liquid form in West Virginia. Today, LNG is used in everything from heating homes and businesses, to producing electricity and even to transportation. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, liquified natural gas burns so much cleaner, they recommend a conversion to LNG for municipal and business fleets of vehicles.
LNG can also be obtained from landfill gas. One landfill near Livermore, California produces up to 13,000 gallons of LNG daily, powering the trash collection vehicles of 20 California communities. As an added bonus, it's immensely cheaper than traditional petroleum, costing pennies-on-the-dollar compared to gasoline.
LNG is also relatively safe. Unlike an oil spill, were natural gas to leak, it would dissipate into the air, instead of contaminating the ground or water. Admittedly, an incident resulting in a release of liquified natural gas could result in a fire, but only if there is the right concentration of LNG vapor in the air (5% - 15%) and a source of ignition.
It's cheaper to both produce, and for the end-consumer. It burns cleaner. It offers higher levels of efficiency. And as for how much of this resource we have, our 4,000 trillion cubic feet even has OPEC worried. Is there an energy problem in America, which liquified natural gas can't answer? While there certainly must be a down-side to everything in life, this resource seems our best bet.
Published by Donald Pennington - Featured Contributor in Politics
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5 Comments
Post a CommentTell me one thing that is, Han. That's certainly no excuse.
It certainly has promise, but it too is not free of potential problems.
@Lorraine, so far, the cost per mile for vehicles is working out to a few cents per mile. Try that with diesel. The gasoline gallon equivalent is for diesel is .88, (and that's without a vast national infrastructure) while the gasoline gallon equivalent for LNG is 1.52. How is that half? I think what you're referencing is the BTU/unit. Still, it works out pretty evenly.
I should've probably put all of those stats in the piece too.
@Sheryl; I'd fight 'em every inch of the way. Using LNG is too close to the ideal for everything they ask for. If they're not happy with this one, they lose all credibility, before they even open their mouths.
I'm sure the environmentalists will find a way to stop us from using it.
Indeed a rich resource, but compressing it, liquifying it, and keeping it cold will eat your lunch. Not to mention it has only half the energy density of diesel fuel.