Cheap Natural Gas is Creating its own Demand

Business Insider ^ | Dec 27, 2011 | Simon Lack

[thackney]

Last week the Environmental Protection Agency issued emission standards tightening the rules surrounding the output of mercury and other harmful pollutants. These standards will have the practical effect of making natural gas relatively more attractive than coal for electricity generation since coal-burning plants require the installation of expensive “scrubbers” to clean the emissions they generate. Converting older plants to operate more cleanly often fails to make economic sense and as a result new power plants are increasingly burning natural gas. The Wall Street Journal noted this in an article on Friday.

..

But the longer term outlook is increasingly positive. U.S. based natural gas is now cheaper than anywhere in the world outside the Middle East, and that is drawing interest from other industries that rely on cheap sources of energy. States that sit atop the Marcellus Shale (such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia) are competing with one another to attract ethylene production facilities. And a Brazilian textile company recently chose Texas over Mexico to build a new denim factory because of a 30% cost advantage in electricity. Over time cheap natural gas will lead to cheap electricity, drawing in additional industries and creating manufacturing jobs. And this increased demand will no doubt help support prices.

[353FMG]

“....tightening the rules surrounding the output of mercury and other harmful pollutants.”

.
Bunch of EPA BS — will they take a closer look at the use of the new mercury-filled lightbulb?

Oh, it’s a harmless type of Hg? Thanks for “enlightening” us.

[TLI]

So of course we now see a rash of "fracking causes" reports.

Apparently hydraulic fracking suddenly is the culprit for everything from groundwater polution to earthquakes to halitoses and dandruff/dry itchy scalp.

It never ends with the communist agenda "progressive liberals."

.

[abb]

The chatter here in North Louisiana is this formation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Dense_%28limestone%29

[DaveyB]

Apparently hydraulic fracking suddenly is the culprit for everything from groundwater polution to earthquakes to halitoses and dandruff/dry itchy scalp.

That's just crazy talk. Every liberal knows that dry itchy scalp is caused by an unequal distribution of power to the 1% and dandruff is caused by insufficient funding of the arts. Sheesh - hydraulic fracking is responsible for the rise in type II diabetes and the use of steroids in professional baseball.

[Sir Napsalot]

>>> Cheap Natural Gas is Creating its own Demand

I’d like to see how long the word ‘cheap’ can be applied.

Just wait till our representatives and gubmint get involved in ‘free redistribution’ to The NEEDY .......

[woodbutcher1963]

Stop joking this is HUGH and SERIOUS!

sarc

[SaxxonWoods]

Hi abb! *waves*

“Electricity prices will necessarily skyrocket under my plan.”

-Barack Obama, circa 2007

Another liberal wrong due to a static model fallacy. The good part is, he was wrong in a way that’s good for the rest of us. Well, not so much me, my royalty checks are dropping.

I’m glad people are getting cheap natural gas though, let’s spread the wealth around, right Barry?

[mamelukesabre]

Using up our natural gas for electricity is a tragedy. If we are to move away from coal we should be moving towards nuclear...preferably thorium.

[mamelukesabre]

And a Brazilian textile company recently chose Texas over Mexico to build a new denim factory because of a 30% cost advantage in electricity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This 30% advantage is from coal produced electricity, YA NIMRODS!

[TLI]

and dandruff is caused by insufficient funding of the arts.

I must have been living in a bubble.

New Year resolution; expand horizons...

:-)

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[thackney]

In Texas, we get more electrical power from nNatural Gas than from coal.

http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/generation_state.xls

See row 34917 and 34919

[clearcarbon]

For most of my life I was told that natural gas was clean,
cheap, and abundant. Then, shortly before fracking and only
a few years back, suddenly is was neither cheap nor
abundant.

[thackney]

before fracking and only a few years back,

The drilling industry started hydraulic fracturing wells back in 1949.

[X-spurt]

So what is your prediction for us running out of NG? And that is based on......?

It may not be impossible, but its darn sure highly unlikely we will run out of NG considering is so prevalent in many forms.

We should be moving to NG in any way we can.

[X-spurt]

Come on thac, most still think NG comes from the funny silver thing next to their house.

[mamelukesabre]

why would I predict something stupid like that? Prices constantly change so that we will never run out nor ever have too much. That’s the magic of capitalism.

[X-spurt]

“Using up our natural gas for electricity”

“using up” sounds like some kinda prediction. Just wondering..

[mamelukesabre]

yep...predicting they will run up the price on natgas. Then we will have high electric bills AND high gas bills

[thackney]

I would predict this will be likely.