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Media Advisory
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Contact: Mary Ellen Grant |
LNG: An Essential Part of
America’s Clean Energy Mix
Why Renewable Energy Alone
Cannot Guarantee Reliability
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 24, 2008) -- As we celebrate the Earth this week and continue to seek solutions to combat global climate change, one energy source deserves a second look – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
LNG is clean energy and will play an increasingly important role in helping our nation improve air quality in the coming years. LNG is simply natural gas in liquid form. LNG is non-toxic, odorless, and burns cleanly. It would not result in a slick if spilled on water or land and it is easily integrated into our nation’s current energy infrastructure.
Natural gas produces relatively low carbon dioxide emissions when used to heat and cool homes, generate electricity and fuel vehicles. Communities throughout the U.S. are building natural gas fueled power plants in an effort to reduce carbon emissions to meet cleaner air quality standards.
However, while we work toward a renewable energy future, it is important to put the environmental footprint and the energy capacity of the leading clean energy sources into context. The following facts illustrate the importance of the role natural gas will continue to serve as we strive to meet our nation’s growing energy demands with clean energy sources.
Fact: North America’s largest solar power plant, built in December 2007, covers 80 acres of land in San Luis Valley, Colorado. The facility generates enough electricity to power 1,500 homes. (SunEdison press release, December 17, 2007).
Fact: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average wind turbine installed in 2006 was almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty and has a rotor large enough to sweep a football field. The largest U.S. wind generation facility is located across two counties in Texas with 421 turbines spread over nearly 47,000 acres of land. The wind farm generates enough electricity to power approximately 220,500 homes.
Fact: LNG is delivered securely by ship to import facilities located onshore and offshore at six different U.S. ports. Just one of those facilities, located in the Boston Harbor, provides enough LNG to generate electricity for 1.5 million homes.
Upon arrival to its destination, LNG is generally transferred to specially designed and secured storage tanks and then warmed to its gaseous state. It is then transported via pipelines to consumers, industries and power generators who rely on natural gas.
Renewable energy is in our future, but we need reliable and clean resources today. Renewable energy alone cannot guarantee reliability, nor does it have the capacity to power enough homes and businesses without significantly altering our environmental landscape. Therefore, a balanced approach to a clean energy future includes using natural gas – supplemented by LNG – in combination with renewable energy, to meet our nation’s clean energy demands while ensuring continued reliable and affordable energy.
Get the facts.
Find out more about LNG by logging onto www.lngfacts.org. For media inquiries, please contact Mary Ellen Grant at 202-962-4751 or mgrant@lngfacts.org.
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CLNG is a trade association of LNG producers, shippers, terminal operators and developers, energy trade associations and natural gas consumers. Its goal is to enhance public education and understanding about LNG by serving as a clearinghouse for LNG information. For more information, visit www.lngfacts.org