More and more fossil fuel reliant companies are announcing their intentions to reduce or eliminate emissions, driven in part by the current administration’s aggressive approach to address climate change. Many experts are predicting a coming windfall for the renewable energy industry as companies strive to meet their stated goals by 2035, 2040 or even 2050. But is this rush to renewables the right choice for every company and every situation? Perhaps not. Natural gas is significantly cleaner than other fossil fuels, it’s plentiful, and eliminating gas-powered energy production may not be the best choice for the environment.
A new white paper from Mesa Solutions looks at six reasons why natural gas power generation should continue to be a go-to solution. Reasons include natural methane cycles and maturity of the natural gas industry. The immaturity of the renewables industry is another stated reason why natural gas shouldn’t be abandoned. Another major concern with the renewables industry is the lack of infrastructure to deal with waste materials generated by solar panels and wind turbines that have reached the end of their useful life.
The paper also discusses challenges around the rare earth materials used in the manufacturing of renewable energy systems.