Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
(The Department of Energy and academic institutions are studying these ques-
tions.)
In January 2013, Chesapeake Energy agreed to let the EPA test an active drilling
site (the EPA has not revealed the location of the test site). Range Resources has
also agreed to let the EPA conduct tests at one of its wells in Washington County,
ment inspection, public sentiment will shift in their favor, and government cooper-
ation will become that much easier to win.
But the stakes are high: both regulators and industry executives say the EPA
study will have a significant impact on the way hydrofracking is managed going
forward.
A National Research Council report found that by increasing the efficiency of our
vehicles, and using new technologies like biofuels and batteries, US cars and trucks
could operate 50 percent more efficiently in 20 years.
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As we have seen, the shale gale has already changed the way the United States
uses energy. Electric companies are forsaking coal for gas-powered turbines, and
petrochemical companies are bringing their overseas facilities back to produce
plastics in the United States for the first time in decades. But the holy grail of nat-
ural gas is in the gas tank of our cars.
Seventy percent of the oil consumed in America is used for transportation, a
ural gas cheaper than oil, but its emissions have a smaller impact than gasoline and
diesel.
While many fleets of commercial trucks and city buses use natural gas, switch-
ing over passenger cars to natural gas is a much higher bar. There are four models
of gas and dual-fuel cars for sale in the United States, and certified aftermarket
conversion kits can be used on 40 models of cars and trucks, at a cost of $12,000
to $18,000.
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One drawback of natural gas cars is they cost thousands of dollars more than
gasoline-powered ones—largely because the gas tanks must be bigger and heavier
to store the fuel under pressure. (The Honda Civic GX, for instance, costs $5,200
more than a comparable gasoline vehicle.)
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This could change in the future,
