Electricity from Natural Gas

 

Natural gas. To a geologist, it's a mixture of hydrocarbons, chiefly methane and a little Methane, and it's usually found along with oil under layers of sand, soil, and rock.

But to US, natural gas is a historic mainstay fuel for generating electricity.

Between the mid-1920s and early 1970s, it was virtually the only fuel used.

From Waste to Watts
Back in the early days of this century, natural gas was scorned as a waste byproduct of oil production and was routinely flared, or burned off, in the oil fields. Then electric utilities in Texas discovered the advantages of burning natural gas in their power plant boilers.

The Natural Advantages
The advantages of burning natural gas to produce electricity are considerable. The gas we use is a domestic resource and thus contributes toward our nation’s energy independence. Of all the fossil fuels, natural gas burns the cleanest and so has the least effect on the environment. Burning it leaves no solid wastes to dispose of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Pipeline to the Power Plant

One of the challenges of using natural gas is getting it from where it’s produced to where it needs to go. Today 2,200 miles of pipeline link generating plants to the major gas-producing areas of West Texas, East Texas, and the Gulf Coast. Underground storage facilities capable of holding more than 28 billion cubic feet of usable gas allow purchase of gas around the clock as it’s being produced, not just when it’s needed. As a backup, reserves of fuel oil are kept at gas power plants in case extreme weather conditions cause the major gas companies to curtail the supply. All these plants can generate electricity using natural gas or oil.

 

The Gas Generation                                                                
And natural gas is needed a lot, especially on the hottest days of the year when our 19 gas-fired plants might burn two billion cubic feet of the fuel to help keep customers cool. On these blazing hot days, and on the coldest nights too, gas offers a particular advantage. Specially designed gas plants can be turned on and brought up to full production quickly to supply needed electricity at these crucial times. Faster-starting gas-powered combustion turbines, which are simpler and smaller than conventional power plants, are also available. Though not as economical to run as the big generating units, they are well-suited for short periods when electricity demand is at its highest. Smaller gas plants and combustion turbines are operated as peaking units to supplement the electricity generated around the clock by larger, more efficient gas and lignite plants.

 

Keeping Ahead of the Times
Early in this century, power companies in Texas began using natural gas to generate electricity. Power generation has changed considerably since the days of rooms full of dynamos with their leather belts flapping and wheels spinning.

 

Today gas-fired plants boast the most sophisticated power plant technology available as we seek to gain maximum efficiency and economy. The latest digital electronic control equipment, for example, dramatically improves operation and performance at several plants, including one of the oldest. Such technological improvements allow plants to generate more electricity using less fuel and fewer employees. All gas units are evaluated  annually for improvements as part of a life management plan to ensure a long, productive service life. Even though they provide fuel for the lignite plants, the gas plants remain an energy bargain for our customers because of their relatively low original construction costs.

 

 

Natural Gas and the Future
As with other fossil fuels, supplies of natural gas are nonrenewable and eventually will run out. But supplies in the foreseeable future are good, and natural gas plants will continue to provide much of our customers’ electricity. Advances in power engineering mean that one day some existing natural gas units could be repowered to provide other fuel sources or extend the life of the equipment. Selected existing plants, for example, could be made into highly efficient combined-cycle units. This system joins together two means of producing electricity. First, a gas-burning combustion turbine is used to generate electricity. The exhaust heat from the combustion turbine is trapped and used to produce steam to turn the turbine on a conventional plant, producing even more electricity without the cost of additional fuel. Combined-cycle technology is only one method being looked at for the future.