Saturday, November 23, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, March 29, 2012
Fracking Cuts US CO2 Emissions 9% in Year
By NCPA @ 1:16 PM :: 5228 Views :: Energy, Environment

Fracking Cuts Greenhouse Gases

From NCPA

While the Environmental Protection Agency continues its crusade against emissions by championing renewable energy and regulating automobile manufacturers, the benefits of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) have gone relatively unreported. The fracking revolution in the United States that will produce enormous amounts of natural gas will also have the net impact of cutting emissions, says Adam Peshek, a research associate at the Reason Foundation.

This reduction, which is yielded indirectly by the implementation of fracking, is achieved by the process' contributions to the efficiency of natural gas production. Fracking enables miners to produce roughly eight times as much natural gas per well, lowering costs and producing gas at a lower rate.

  • Because fracking has allowed greater access to natural gas trapped in shale rock formations, production has skyrocketed and prices have plummeted.
  • Gas prices dropped from $12 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in June 2008 to less than $4 per MMbtu in September 2009.
  • During that time, the cost of generating electricity from natural gas plants fell an average of about 4 cents per kilowatt.
  • Gas prices have continued to plummet since then, falling to a historic low of $2.30 MMBtu today.

These lower prices have incentivized electric utilities to switch from dirtier coal to cleaner-burning gas. This has the aggregate effect of producing more electricity for American consumers while reducing emissions from the sector.

  • Natural gas plants emit roughly half the greenhouse gases that coal-fired plants emit.
  • According to a recent study, the United States emitted nearly 9 percent less carbon dioxide in 2009 than it did in 2008, mostly due to the wider employment of natural gas.
  • Because prices of natural gas have continued to plummet since then as more firms move into the sector, further gains are likely to be realized.

These advances have also resulted in American exports of liquefied natural gas, which means that these reductions in emissions will be realized by America's trade partners as well, while simultaneously helping to correct America's trade balance.

Source: Adam Peshek, "Fracking Cuts Greenhouse Gases," Reason Foundation, March 19, 2012.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii