The heat that we’ve experienced this summer, and the energy that our grid consumed, reminds us of the importance of having reliable sources of energy as we electrify during the energy transition. It also reminds us of the importance of natural gas as a source to this system.
The graphs below are based on data of energy generation in the U.S. from July 1 to July 16. Our grid relied upon these sources of energy during the hottest 15 days so far this summer. This bar chart shows the proportion of sources consumed during this period. We relied most heavily on natural gas for nearly one-half of our energy consumption while relying on coal and nuclear for 18% and 17%, respectively. All renewable sources combined provided 18%.
This second chart shows the peaks and troughs of total energy consumed during each day, and of each source of energy. One can see from this chart how little renewable sources provide during each period of peak demand and how much is required of fossil fuel sources as demand rises and subsides during each day. Our reality is that if we are to have reliable electricity, we need fossil fuel sources to meet peak periods of demand until we can construct a grid that has enough carbon-free sources to satisfy the peak. Therefore, in order to reduce emissions, the system needs to replace coal with natural gas until it can incorporate carbon-free sources sufficient to meet the peak.
The scatter graphs below remind us of another reality. For each source of energy, these graphs plot the demand each day against the supply on that same day. The graph for nuclear generation was consistent during this period as the reactors operated full time. The graphs for solar and wind are scattered, indicating that the ability to generate energy from these sources is partially decoupled from demand, but dependent on weather conditions that support their generation. The graphs for natural gas, coal and hydro show an upward slope, indicating that these sources are deployed depending on the quantity of demand. They fill the gap between what carbon-free sources provide during peak demand. And the hydro resources of the system are limited in supply, so the grid relies on fossil fuels to provide reliable energy during peak.
This is why we’ve concluded that natural gas is currently “Thick.” Our grid must supply reliable electricity. As we “electrify” everything, we can only provide reliable electricity and reduce carbon emission if we add natural gas to replace coal until we can add enough carbon-fee to meet peak demand.
