There is enough low-carbon natural gas to reliably supply the nation’s electrical grid for more than a century and help integrate wind and solar power into the grid, the heads of three major gas groups told FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff Monday.

“Natural gas currently supplies [more than] 20% of the country’s total electric demand and, with reasonable access to reserves, [it] will be available to meet the demand for clean low-carbon natural gas for more than one hundred years,” said the heads of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America and the Natural Gas Supply Association.

“We ask the Commission to support policies that allow natural gas to realize its potential in meeting our long-term energy goals, including reliably integrating renewable energy sources into the electric grid and ensuring sufficient power generation for the future,” the three groups wrote in a letter to Wellinghoff. The letter was in response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) request for comments on the agency’s proposed “Smart Grid” action plan.

The trio noted that wind and solar-powered electrical systems can face reduced output when the wind stops blowing or the sun stops shining. “Natural gas is part of a practical holistic approach to solving these problems. By providing a low-carbon complement to renewable energy, natural gas will ensure electric power reliability through on-demand gas-fired generation.”

They noted that quick-start gas-fired generation units can come on-line in as little as 10 minutes, and can respond reliably in real time when renewable generation is interrupted.

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