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Fracking Could Be The Key To Clean Power
Design Team • September 8, 2015
Fracking for clean power: the statement is only an oxymoron for those who haven't been paying attention to recent news in the oil and gas industry. Hydraulic fracturing has made it easier than ever for oil and gas companies to procure natural gas. A wealth of domestically produced natural gas has lowered natural gas prices, making energy more plentiful and cost-effective. Not only does this have a positive economic benefit, but it has a positive environmental benefit as well.
PRODUCING CLEAN POWER THROUGH NATURAL GAS
Many are not aware that natural gas is one of the cleanest sources of energy. Natural gas produces approximately half the amount of carbon dioxide emissions as traditional coal and far less than other fuel sources, such as gasoline and diesel. As natural gas replaces coal as a primary energy resource, carbon emissions are reduced by 50%. And as natural gas becomes even more plentiful, engines which used to work on gasoline and diesel may also transition to natural gas, further reducing emissions. Of all natural fuels, natural gas is the best resource for the environment.
There are many natural gas reserves available domestically, and production of natural gas has been limited previously by a lack of viable oil and gas extraction methods. Extraction through fracking allows for previously untapped sources of natural gas to be utilized and for natural gas to be reclaimed with increased productivity and efficiency. Fracking is critical to a move towards more natural gas reliance and, consequently, cleaner power throughout the nation.
FRACKING AND NATURAL GAS
Modern hydraulic fracturing methods have made gas reclamation easier than ever. Previously depleted natural gas resources may be able to be revisited with newer fracking measures, thereby increasing the amount of natural gas that is available to be used on a global scale. Fracking also improves the efficiency with which natural gas is reclaimed, thus reducing the amount of energy that needs to be used to actually acquire the gas itself.
NATURAL GAS VS. CLEAN POWER INITIATIVES
Presently, clean power initiatives including the Clean Power Plan focus on renewable energy resources and increased efficiency of existing power sources. However, zero emissions power sources have proven to be expensive to implement and take time. A transition towards natural gas is not only more effective but easier and more comprehensive. The infrastructure is already in place to utilize natural gas. Nevertheless, one portion of the Clean Power Plan does acknowledge that natural gas is the preferable form of fossil fuel.
An increased reliance on renewable resources may be an ultimate goal, but it is not one that can be achieved quickly. Natural gas is a low carbon emissions fossil fuel that is found plentifully across the world and that can be reclaimed with ease through new and improving hydraulic fracturing methods. As more fracking occurs, natural gas will become even more readily available and a more viable option towards clean energy. With the global supply of natural gas available, natural gas could well become an intrinsic component of the world's clean energy future.
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