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Natural Gas

Since 1977, the people of the U.S. Department of Energy have been delivering the science, innovation and expertise required to advance America's energy, economic and national security. In this photo taken in June 1988, former Secretary of Energy John Herrington takes the wheel of a clean natural gas vehicle in front of the Energy Department in Washington, DC. Today, natural gas powers over 112,000 vehicles in the United States and roughly 14.8 million vehicles worldwide. Natural gas vehicles, which can run on compressed natural gas, are a good option for high-mileage, centrally-fueled fleets that operate within a limited area.

Since 1977, the people of the U.S. Department of Energy have been delivering the science, innovation and expertise required to advance America's energy, economic and national security. In this photo taken in June 1988, former Secretary of Energy John Herrington takes the wheel of a clean natural gas vehicle in front of the Energy Department in Washington, DC. Today, natural gas powers over 112,000 vehicles in the United States and roughly 14.8 million vehicles worldwide. Natural gas vehicles, which can run on compressed natural gas, are a good option for high-mileage, centrally-fueled fleets that operate within a limited area.

New Methane Hydrate Research: Investing in Our Energy Future
Methane hydrates are 3D ice-lattice structures with natural gas locked inside. If methane hydrate is either warmed or depressurized, it will release the trapped natural gas.

New research projects will help study methane hydrates and their implications for future resources, geohazards, and the environment.

Technology Key to Harnessing Natural Gas Potential
Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman tours Proinlosa Energy Corp. in Houston, Texas. Proinlosa is a company in the wind turbine manufacturing supply chain that develops tower parts and has benefitted from the Production Tax Credit (PTC). | Photo courtesy of Keri Fulton.

New projects, funded by the Energy Department, will research ways to increase production of natural gas by reducing our dependency on foreign oil and creating American jobs.

On the Frontiers of a New Energy Source
Building on this initial, small-scale test, the Department is launching a new research effort to conduct a long-term production test in the Arctic.

Secretary Chu announces that the Department of Energy has completed a successful and unprecedented test of technology in the North Slope of Alaska that was able to safely extract a steady flow of natural gas from methane hydrates

State Energy Program Helping Arkansans Convert to Compressed Natural Gas
The Arkansas Energy Office recently launched a Compressed Natural Gas Conversion Rebate Program, which provides incentives for fleets and individuals to purchase and/or convert their Arkansas-licensed vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG). | All Rights Reserved.

As President Obama highlighted in his State of the Union speech last night, developing natural gas here at home is part of the solution to getting off foreign oil and putting Americans to work.

Producing Natural Gas From Shale
The Office of Fossil Energy sponsored early research that refined more cost-effective and innovative production technologies for U.S. shale gas production -- such as directional drilling.  By 2035, EIA projects that shale gas production will rise to 13.6 trillion cubic feet, representing nearly half of all U.S. natural gas production. | Image courtesy of the Office of Fossil Energy.

By 2035, EIA projects that shale gas production will rise to 13.6 trillion cubic feet. When you consider that 1 tcf of natural gas is enough to heat 15 million homes for one year, the importance of this resource to the nation becomes obvious.