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Tied Positions: Privatize vs. Nationalize
The pipeline system that delivers natural gas to utiltiy companies is a patchwork of private/public infrastrucrue which is ineffient and needs upgradnig. If NG is going to be the "transiton" fuel to renewable energy, should we, as a country, decide how best it should be optimized for the public good... or should we leave to a handful of oligarch's to wrestle over while our planet burns?
In an ideal world, our electricity system would run on 100 percent clean, renewable energy.
To do that, we have to balance the intermittency of renewables with our steady need for electricity. That’s where natural gas comes in...
Many policymakers, regulators and industry members believe we have to build thousands of miles of new pipelines...
Nationally, the U.S. has plenty of existing pipeline infrastructure to accommodate significantly expanded gas use...
Although we will need to build out new pipes to fill in certain gaps, this should be complemented by an emphasis on removing the regulatory and market barriers that keep us from making much more efficient use of the massive infrastructure that’s in place today.
If we don’t, then billions of dollars of capital sunk into new pipelines will fall needlessly on ratepayer shoulders, and potentially constrain the ongoing expansion of clean, low-cost renewable technologies.
To be beneficial for clean energy, gas must be used efficiently and with a limited role into the future.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfenergyexchange/2015/06/05/how-to-ensure-new-natural-gas-infrastructure-doesnt-lock-out-renewables/
This Forbes article makes a strong case for nationalizing the NG pipeline system in this country.... wouldn't you agree?