Almost all of the natural gas used by Americans -- more than 98% -- comes from North America. More than 85% of this comes from the U.S. itself, with the remaining supplies from neighboring Canada. Our natural gas resources are huge and growing. American ingenuity is unlocking vast quantities of natural gas both on land and below the ocean floor. As a result of the unprecedented increase in natural gas resources over the last few years, experts say our country has at least a 100-year supply of natural gas using the technology we have today. With evolving technology, we could have as much as 200-300 years of supply.
American ingenuity is also developing new technologies to extend these resources. For example, natural gas can be produced from a variety of sources such as landfills, animal waste, even garbage dumps. American industries are learning how to capture the methane given off from these sources and process it into a renewable fuel, biomethane. Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) today can reduce greenhouse emissions by 20 - 29% compared to diesel and gasoline fueled vehicles respectively. By blending renewable natural gas with existing natural gas supplies, carbon emissions for NGVs can be reduced almost 90%, in addition to stretching our existing supplies of natural gas even farther into the future.
The Hummer we've chosen for our coast-to-coast NGV tour is a good example of American ingenuity at work. We chose the Hummer precisely because it is seen by many as a glaring example of an environmentally unfriendly vehicle. However, the problem is the fuel, not the vehicle. By using recent technology to convert our Hummer to run on natural gas, our vehicle is certified to produce fewer emissions than a Smart Car. And unlike a Smart Car, there's room enough inside that we could bring along our dog Seamus -- try that on a long trip in one of today's electric vehicles!
An American natural resource driving new American technologies to fuel America's energy independence. Go Natural Gas!
