America's supply of natural gas is considerably greater than commonly thought, thanks to advances in recovery technology that now allow for drilling in shale rock. The nation's recoverable reserves stand at more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet. At current rates of consumption, that means the U.S. will not run out until roughly 2100 -- all other things being equal.
All other things won't be equal, of course, because neither technology nor society stands still. So projections of energy use for the next century have about as much credence as projections of gasoline consumption in 1909, the year after Ford introduced the Model T.
Americans are constantly being told that various potential drilling sites, from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the ocean beds off Virginia's coast, probably hold only so much oil or gas, so the return on any drilling investment isn't worth the bother. In fact, exploration and recovery often yield considerably more resources than anyone expected.
The U.S. shouldn't use that as an excuse to slack off on alternative energy efforts, or to forego greater investments in nuclear power. The country needs a broad spectrum of reliable and abundant energy sources. But fossil fuels will continue to make up a major part of the equation for years, if not decades. Start drilling -- now.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement