We've spent the summer mired in a "natural gas crisis." Whether the predictions were real or imagined, too farfetched or not dramatic enough for your tastes, the impact has been obvious: power utilities filing for rate increases based on the price increase for natural gas, the Secretary of Energy unveiling an educational campaign for power conservation, and Congressional hearings to tackle the one burning question of this debate―how can we solve the crisis? At the heart of any solution―even this one―is desire, and no one denies the basic need America has for more gas. It's obvious that what we've got is just not enough, and probably won't be enough for the future―especially given the number of merchant power plants scheduled to come online in the next few years that will rely completely on natural gas. In the end, there are two camps warring over a possible solution to this gap between producers and consumers. The first touts liquefied natural gas (LNG) as our potential savior. The second looks to old-school style domestic drilling. But, which is the true messiah of the natural gas crisis?
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