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Page added on August 1, 2010
MIT: Natural Gas to Replace Coal
Natural gas will play a leading role in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions over the next several decades, largely by replacing older, inefficient coal plants with highly efficient combined-cycle gas generation. That’s the conclusion reached by a comprehensive study of the future of natural gas conducted by an MIT study group comprised of 30 MIT faculty members, researchers, and graduate students. The findings, summarized in an 83-page report, were presented to lawmakers and senior administration officials this week in Washington.
The two-year study, managed by the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), examined the scale of U.S. natural gas reserves and the potential of this fuel to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Based on the work of the multidisciplinary team, with advice from a board of 16 leaders from industry, government and environmental groups, the report examines the future of natural gas through 2050 from the perspectives of technology, economics, politics, national security and the environment.
The report includes a set of specific proposals for legislative and regulatory policies, as well as recommendations for actions that the energy industry can pursue on its own, to maximize the fuel’s impact on mitigating greenhouse gas. The study also examined ways to control the environmental impacts that could result from a significant expansion in the production and use of natural gas — especially in electric power production.
“Much has been said about natural gas as a bridge to a low-carbon future, with little underlying analysis to back up this contention. The analysis in this study provides the confirmation — natural gas truly is a bridge to a low-carbon future,” said MITEI Director Ernest J. Moniz in introducing the report.
One Comment on "MIT: Natural Gas to Replace Coal"
KenZ300 on Mon, 2nd Aug 2010 1:37 am
Natural Gas plants would be a great improvement to replace coal fired generators that are at the end of their useful lives. We should combine that with wind or solar generation to make a cogeneration facility that can use the gas fired generator to regulate the fluctuations of power supplied by the wind or solar farm.
No new generation facility should be built unless it includes a wind or solar component to augment the natural gas facility. We need to continue to ramp up renewable energy in our energy portfolio.