American Gas Association Calculates Relative Benefit of Natural Gas to Consumers after Accounting for Measurements on a Full-Fuel-Cycle Basis

摘要

In a 10/20/09 publication, the American Gas Association (AGA) advocates a full-fuel-cycle evaluation approach by government to measure energy efficiency, economics and the environment. Natural gas, electricity, oil, and propane compete in the residential sector especially for space heating and water heating, cooking, and clothes-drying applications. AGA's findings assert that use of natural gas rather than electricity, oil, or propane in residential applications, when evaluated on a full-fuel-cycle basis, results in significant reductions in energy production, consumer energy bills, and air pollutant emissions. "It is important that government policies and regulations that influence energy matters be based on accurate measurements of energy efficiency and environmental impacts," the gas group declared. Most policies and regulations that influence energy matters today are site-based and only consider the impacts at the site where the energy is ultimately consumed. These kinds of regulations, such as appliance efficiency standards and measurement, can lead to higher energy resource consumption as well as higher levels of pollution, AGA warned.