It seems everyone wants to stop using “fossil fuels”. But to get to that point will take a while. During the time that the world needs to use fossil fuels, it raises the question of what will happen in terms of providing fossil fuel. The Financial Times has reported that the head of the pipeline company Williams Companies, Alan Armstrong, claims that in the meantime, there will be a great need for using natural gas.
The article points out that renewable energy is more accessible than ever in terms of costs and technology. But policies to encourage more people to use this renewable energy has put a harsher strain on many grids.
The piece goes into detail about a study from Stanford University that has found that wind, solar, and hydropower could meet the US’s energy needs, if they are coupled with improved infrastructure. But the forecasts for how much need there is in terms of natural gas in the intermediary is unclear.
Armstrong’s company accounts for a third of the transport of all the natural gas in the United States. Interestingly, it does not sell any natural gas, just maintains the pipes that transport it. Interestingly, the US did just expedite the approval of a “controversial Mountain Valley gas pipeline”, which suggests the US government might be aware of this need. However, the approval only came because it was included in the debt ceiling deal, so Republicans might have just been able to force it in. Still, US energy secretary has Jennifer Granholm has admitted that after hearing feedback from utility companies that there is only so much that can be done in terms of having a rapid transition. Again, showing that the Biden administration is being more practical.
These are interesting comments. Obviously, Armstrong is biased, given his company’s interests, but as the article notes, there is at least some evidence to back up his point. It would be interesting to have heard him discuss steam as an energy source. Presumably, steam would need to go through similar pipelines. Additionally, it would be interesting to hear whether Armstrong’s company is diversifying into other infrastructure. Clearly infrastructure capacity is a limitation to renewable energy. While wind and solar work differently than gas, there is likely at least a little overlap. But they likely need some investment, being from the private sector or the government.