Natural gas use to rise under next president

By Edward McAllister - Analysis

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With both U.S. presidential candidates calling for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the country's consumption of natural gas should rise under the next administration no matter who wins the White House.

Natural gas for electricity generation and industry will be key to the energy plans of either Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama, said experts, who consider natural gas a bridge between oil and future renewable energy sources under development.

"John McCain and Barack Obama are both advocates of climate legislation and as such either explicitly or implicitly they would have to be in favor of increased natural gas usage," said Bill Cooper, executive director at the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas in Washington D.C.

"Even strong advocates of advancing renewable usage realize

that natural gas is going to be a bridge fuel to accomplishing that end," he added.

Natural gas, as the cleanest of the fossil fuels, is considered the preferred middle ground between the dirtier burning oil and coal and greener renewables.

U.S. natural gas reserve estimates for 2006 were around 211 trillion cubic feet. But this could double in the coming years with the introduction of newly developed shale plays.

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama both have committed

to greenhouse gas reductions -- Obama by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050 and McCain by 60 percent.

Natural gas now accounts for around 20 percent of the energy used in the United States, the world's top consumer, with coal just under 50 percent.

"The bulk of new growth will be met by gas, there's no question of that," said Paul Flemming, director at Energy Security Analysis Inc in Massachusetts, adding that the alternative of burning coal for power generation is looking increasingly unattractive and unpopular for politicians

.

"One thing for sure is that it's been harder and harder to get coal plants off the ground. The progress of new coal plant development is not exciting," Flemming said.

Moreover, clean coal development -- advocated by both candidates -- is not expected soon as the vast expense needed to introduce new technologies has delayed development.

Some in the industry see some differences in the candidates' attitudes toward natural gas.