It starts by piping natural gas underground to power plants. Then power plants burn the natural gas to boil water that becomes steam. The steam spins the blades of a turbine that is connected to a generator. The generator then spins magnets that generates the electricity.
People also ask, is natural gas the energy of the future?
Natural Gas And Renewables Will Rule America's Electricity Future. As much as wind and solar are increasing, natural gas is increasing more. And gas will continue to grow faster than all other energy sources in the United States for some time.
Likewise, how efficient is natural gas as an energy source?
Natural gas provides 29% of our energy and is used to heat about half the homes in the United States. A gas-fired plant was about 42% efficient. And in natural gas combined-cycle power plants—in which waste heat from a natural gas turbine is used to power a steam turbine—generation may be as much as 60% efficient.
What energy is natural gas?
Natural gas is a fossil energy source that formed deep beneath the earth's surface. Natural gas contains many different compounds. The largest component of natural gas is methane, a compound with one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH4).
What are the pros and cons of natural gas?
Natural Gas: Pros and Cons
- Widely used, contributes 21% of the world's energy production today.
- Delivery infrastructure already exists.
- End use appliances already widespread.
- Used extensively for power generation as well as heat.
- Cleanest of all the fossil fuels.
- Burns quite efficiently.
- Emits 45% less CO2 than coal.
- Emits 30% less CO2 than oil.