Offers

Compressed natural gas offers the best opportunity for a majority of the nation’s drivers to be weaned off of gasoline as their primary transportation fuel, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told a House subcommittee Tuesday.

An unprecedented midstream infrastructure building boom offers the potential for tens of thousands of jobs and a $511 billion cumulative boost to the U.S. economy during the next 23 years, according to the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). The infrastructure is necessary to deliver domestic natural gas, liquids and crude oil from domestic shale plays.

An unprecedented midstream infrastructure building boom offers the potential for tens of thousands of jobs and a $511 billion cumulative boost to the U.S. economy during the next 23 years, according to the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). The infrastructure is necessary to deliver domestic natural gas, liquids and crude oil from domestic shale plays.

A state official said a bill advancing in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that offers tax breaks to large businesses could also be used to help the state lure an ethane cracker and the thousands of jobs it would provide.

North America offers the “greatest opportunities” for the natural gas and oil industry this year, according to new survey of executives.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill Thursday that offers tax breaks to companies that build an ethane cracker in the state, then jetted off to Houston to meet with Royal Dutch Shell plc executives about their plans to possibly build such a facility in the Mountain State.

Atlanta-based AGL Resources and Naperville, IL-based Nicor Inc. received approval of their merger from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) last Wednesday, the final regulatory nod needed to create a natural gas distribution behemoth operating in seven states.

Atlanta-based AGL Resources and Naperville, IL-based Nicor Inc. received approval of their merger from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), the final regulatory nod needed to create a natural gas distribution behemoth operating in seven states.

Contrary to some previous reports, natural gas offers greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions advantages compared with coal-fired power generation, according to a recent study by Worldwatch Institute and Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors. Earlier this year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency updated its methodology for estimating methane (CH4) emissions from natural gas systems, but gas-fired generation still releases 47% less GHGs than coal from source to use, the researchers said. A controversial study by Cornell University earlier this year reported that CH4 leaks were a particular concern for gas produced from shale formations using hydraulic fracturing (see Daily GPI, April 13). But even counting higher estimated emissions of CH4 from shale gas production activities, gas-fired power generation still beats coal-fired power by a wide margin when it comes to overall GHG emissions, according to a subsequent study published by the gas-friendly American Clean Skies Foundation (see Daily GPI, April 21). IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates in August said GHG emissions from shale gas production likely are “significantly overstated” (see Shale Daily, Aug. 25). Another recent study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research found that burning natural gas emits “far less” carbon dioxide than coal but even so, more reliance on gas won’t significantly slow climate change (see Daily GPI, Sept. 15).