The Impact of Shale Gas on the US Power Market

by | Sep 14, 2012 | Industrial Energy & Onsite Utilities, Industry, Power Generation

Jim Cahill

Jim Cahill

Chief Blogger, Social Marketing Leader

Here in the U.S., shale gas is creating jobs, reducing energy costs, and even adding to the revenue coffers at the local, state, and federal levels. Emerson’s Alan Novak, Director of the alternative energy and mining and metals industries, highlights its impact on power generation.

Emerson's Alan NovakIn previous posts, we have discussed the potential impact of the US shale gas boom on various industries and the global energy market. It is also having a significant impact in its more traditional role as a fuel for power generation.

A recent Wall Street Journal article “Coal-fired Plants Mothballed by Gas Glut” highlights the challenges facing US power generators with large coal-based fleets. Coal-fired plants that were designed to run continuously and provide a base load to the power grid are, in some cases, being forced into intermittent operation due to the low cost of natural gas.

Source: InsideFutures.com, https://jimc.me/UTfNgB

This is also reflected in power generation statistics from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA),

Source: OilVoice.com https://jimc.me/Ov5Vue

…and in US coal consumption data from the same source.

Source: SeekingAlpha.com https://jimc.me/Ov6hRx

Cheap gas has not however shut down the US coal industry however; it just means that more is available for export.

Source: SeekingAlpha.com https://jimc.me/Ov6hRx

So what does this mean long term for the US power market?

That picture is far from clear. In just the last week, the US Energy Information Administration issued its September Short-Term Energy Outlook with a cautionary note regarding the dash to gas: “Because of the projected increase in natural gas prices relative to coal, EIA expects the recent trend of substituting coal-fired electricity generation with natural gas generation to slow and likely reverse over the next year.”

And its projections for 2013 show coal generated electricity gaining, rather than losing, market share.

Source: EIA.gov https://jimc.me/Ov6WTg

Will increasing demand drive up the price of natural gas in the US? Only time will tell—but if it does, the impact will be felt well beyond the US power market.

Popular Posts

Comments

Follow Us

We invite you to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on the latest news, events and innovations that will help you face and solve your toughest challenges.

Do you want to reuse or translate content?

Just post a link to the entry and send us a quick note so we can share your work. Thank you very much.

Our Global Community

Emerson Exchange 365

The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the authors. Content published here is not read or approved by Emerson before it is posted and does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Emerson.

PHP Code Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com