Increased natural gas supplies would improve feasibility of Pickens Plan

September 30, 2008

Assuming, as we have recently, that battery technology is not yet developed enough to support an all electric automotive system throughout the country, that leaves us with the question of what to do now.  As we know, T. Boone proposes that we use natural gas as a “bridge” fuel to power our cars until battery technology progresses.  He reiterated his concerns about battery technology after the debate last week, asserting that electric cars “are still a long ways off.” 

If this is true, we have to decide whether we are going to have an ad hoc approach to changing the current fuel situation, or whether we are going to implement a comprehensive, albeit temporary, solution like switching our cars to natural gas.

Generally, one of the major criticisms with Pickens’ proposal to power our cars with natural gas is the concern that there may not enough of it to both power our cars, and to make up for the energy dips that come during non-peak hours of wind energy generation.  (Which would pose a problem if we switch to 20% wind power for the national grid.)

Energy Outlook raised an interesting option recently by highlighting the potential to retrieve vast amounts of natural gas from shale.  This “shale gas” technology (not to be confused with the controversial oil shale proposals) could potentially provide a “period of relatively abundant US natural gas supplies.”  If this is the case, our ability to switch all our cars to natural gas could be much more feasible. 

While McCain unbelievably described offshore drilling last week as a “bridge” fuel, in the real world, natural gas might actually play that role.  

Photo credit.

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