Gas shortages amid the natural gas boom: What went wrong?

Some people may be going through one of the coldest winters ever, which may be caused not just by weather conditions. In many parts of the country, natural gas shortages have emerged due to the high demand. As a result, some customers have been asked to power down whenever possible out of fear that there may not be enough gas in power plants.

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The shortage may come as a surprise to many because previous updates from the energy industry have highlighted abundance in natural gas. Even Texas, the largest producer of natural gas, has been reported to have issued a state of emergency. Amid the shortages in many states, one has to wonder what went wrong in the nation’s energy resources.

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Experts note that the shortage is not just about the supply. There is plenty of natural gas in the giant fields of Texas, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. The problem, however, is that the resources are not being distributed effectively to the places that need them most.

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Another problem is that with the advent of the natural gas boom, the country seems to have too abruptly dropped its reliance on fossil fuels. While the high supply makes the shift to natural gas sustainable, significant drops in the use of coal to generate power in plants may severely affect areas that natural gas supplies don’t reach.

Dr. Ali Ghalambor has made remarkable contributions to the oil and gas sector. For more news on the energy industry, visit this Facebook page.