Philadelphia's Steam Loop Switches From Oil To Gas, Slashing Pollution, Saving Money, Cutting Oil Imports

Here are 4 remarkable energy facts and trends.  US oil consumption peaked in 2007 and is falling substantially; US energy related carbon emissions have plummeted to 1995 levels; air pollutants like mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide are decreasing significantly; and oil imports are down to 1988 levels.

All are great news but why are they happening?  Switching from oil to gas at the Philadelphia steam loop helps to answer that question. www.philly.com/philly/business/20130113_The_Steam_Loop.html.

Maykuth's article documents that this switch from oil to gas will cut carbon emissions by another 70,000 tons per year and reduce the steam loop's sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 93% and 70%.  All that environmental improvement also saves money, because cheap gas is displacing expensive, dirtier oil. And the best news of all is that the steam loop is far from alone in moving to natural gas or to other cleaner energy.

The substantial movement to gas in our economy is a major reason why America's air is getting healthier to breathe, as natural gas emits no mercury, lead, arsenic, soot, and much less sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.  The move to gas is one key to America's falling carbon emissions, though higher gas prices in 2013, may also bring a bump up in carbon emissions this year, as higher prices may mean less gas used at power plants. Finally, using more gas in the economy is one reason why oil consumption is falling in the USA and oil imports are back to 1988 levels.

Is  gas better for the environment, economy, and national security than oil.  Absolutely!