Natural Gas in the Global Market Analysis

Introduction

Renewable energy can be used to identify any forms of electrical energy power plant generation such as sunlight as well as geothermal heat. In addition some other renewable sources have been introduced, suchlike small hydro carbon. For instance, wind power is growing annually worldwide and is widely used in the US, Europe and Asia¹. Nations like Brazil pose one of the biggest renewable energy plans because of the ability to generate ethanol fuel from sugar cane which is also available in the USA. The renewable energy persists to develop due to climate change apprehension, in concert with elevated oil prices and in that several states sustain the renewable energy².

Aims and Objectives

Main Objective

The main aim of this research is to analyse the future perspectives for development of the renewable energy sources with regard to the existing energy market and problems it encounters regarding the demand of natural gas in the United States.

Specific Objectives

1. To analyse the natural gas supply and demand ration in the world.
2. To analyse the appropriateness of use of alternative energy sources.
3. To consider the future of the natural gas in the global market.
4. To analyse recent developments in US unconventional gas
5. To consider interactions between gas and climate change policy, in particular the development and feasibility of gas CCS.

Scope and Limitations

Taking into account the global nature of the natural gas supply and demand problem, it is necessary to critically evaluate the alternative sources of energy with regard to the renewable ones.

Literature Review

Renewable energy is expensive but at the same time it helps reduce pollution and also conserve fossil fuels. There has been technological improvements in renewable; solar-electric systems that capture light energy from sun rays and convert it into energy provides solar units of power everywhere and they have become cost effective³.

Natural Gas and Supply

According to research done by the U.S department of energy the residential energy use will increase by 25% in the year 2025. This implies that this extra energy will have to come from renewable energy. According to the United States National Research Council⁴ (2002), the natural gas consists of primarily methane. Found mostly in fossil fuels, in coal beds. It is a major source of fuel. Natural gas has to be processed to remove all materials to remain with methane. One of the by products is carbon dioxide, which is dangerous to the environment.

Natural gas will be relied on for decades because of global demand that is growing so quickly and the world will continuously depend on fossil fuels though researchers are trying to make renewable cost effective. It is cheaper to produce electricity energy with coal than solar energy. Although in small quantities it contributes to global carbon emission and it is meant to gradually increase in the future which is dangerous for the climate change⁵.Natural gas can be referred to be a green house gas that is distantly more strong than natural gas whilst freed into the atmosphere though it is usually released less amount.

Some researchers believe that in the future the natural gas will be the dominant fuel producing electricity. Gas is the easiest option for fuel availability, price, distribution and greenhouse warming. Natural gas is slowly increasing in the United States because of new production from once hard to tap shale rock. In Africa, Australia there also an increase in production of natural gas this together with forecasting trends shows that there will be a modest increase in gas in the world by 2030. Capturing of this carbon dioxide requires more energy which increases fuel needs making it more expensive⁶.

Renewable Energy

According to the national renewable energy research council, in the year 2009 the US invested 20 million dollars in renewable energy programs through this more research is being conducted on renewable energy. Wind energy, according to research done by American wind energy association, generates enough energy to power nine million U.S homes. Construction of the offshore wind farms is one of the new technologies in wind energy that is electricity generating turbines that are placed in open water areas with strong wind. By 2015, it is expected that a policy that requires companies to use 10% of there energy from wind power and other renewable will be in operation.

Global Warming

The climate change talks in Copenhagen discussed the growing use of low carbon vehicles to reduce the carbon dioxide emission and reduce the global temperature rising in the next 8-10 years. Future world champions deemed the “green motor sport” will facilitate prospected world campaigns to oblige to zero discharge electric cars powered by renewable energy⁷.This will help in reducing carbon emission helping to achieve the global carbon reduction goal. Indeed, renewable energy helps reduce the consumption of finite energy resources, and in order to avoid dangerous climate change we need to transform our energy system into renewable systems.

Conclusion

Reliable sources of literature are the main resource of the information, including books, articles and reports. As the information should be specific, it is possible to include interviews from online sources with discussion of the global warming problem or the natural gas supply and renewable energy issues. To conclude, the demand and supply ratio of natural gas makes the global community think over the alternative energy sources which would be renewable.

Footnotes

1. Chiras, Joseph D.The homeowner’s guide to renewable energy: achieving energy 2006.
2. Hansen, Nick, S Manual for intelligent energy services, Publisher The Fairmont Press, Inc, 2002.
3. Oppenheimer, Edward, E. Natural gas: the new energy leader, Pen. Podium Productions, 1980.
4. National Research Council (U.S.) Renewable power pathways: a review of the U.S. Department of Energy’s renewable energy programs. Publisher National: Academies Press United States, 2002.
5. Chiras, Joseph, D.The homeowner’s guide to renewable energy: achieving energy Independence through solar, wind, biomass and hydropower. Colombia: New Society Publishers, 2006.
6. Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric, and Alternate Fuels. Renewable energy. London: DIANE Publishing, 1995.
7. Payne, 1999; Hansen, 2002; Chiras, 2006.