One of the benefits of the Shale Revolution is that Natural Gas is gradually replacing Coal as an energy source to generate Electricity.
Compared to coal, natural gas produces only about half as much carbon dioxide per unit of electricity produced (1.21 pounds of CO2 per kWh for natural gas vs. 2.10 pounds for coal).
The chart above shows that Coal’s share of Electric Power generation has decreased from 57% in 1985 to 34% so far this year through April.
While the share of Electricity generated form Natural Gas has tripled, increasing from less than 10% in the mid-1980s to around 29% today.
From Marathon Oil --"Safe, cost-effective refinements in hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking), horizontal drilling and other innovations now allow for the production of oil and natural gas from tight shale formations that previously were inaccessible. This animated video introduces you to the proven techniques used to extract resources from these shale formations in a safe, environmentally responsible manner."
The chart above is from the Energy Information Administration and illustrates graphically the significant increases in natural gas production in recent years from increased drilling activity in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania.
In only about a 3-year period, natural gas production in the northeast United States has tripled from 1.5 billion cubic feet per day in July 2008 to more than 4.5 billion cubic feet per day by July 2011, with almost all of the increase coming from new drilling in Pennsylvania.
The shale gas revolution in Pennsylvania has been responsible for America going from the 9th largest producer in the world ten years ago to the No. 1 producer in the world starting last year.
