Do you know what is the cheapest source of energy at the moment? It is not SOLAR, WIND or COAL. It is GAS, natural gas which sells for the ridiculous price of USD 2.28 per thousand cubic feet, compared with USD 84.99 per barrel for petrol (oil). Certainly we should express this in common unit such as thermal BTUs. Here is a rough conversion formulas per equivalent caloric heat content (BTU):
For natural gas:2.28$/ thousand cubic feet* (thousand-cubic-feet / 1,020,000-BTU) = 2.235 USD /million-BTU
For fuel oil: 84.99 /barrel * (1-gal / 149,000-BTU) * (1 barrel/ 42-gal) = 13.5 USD / million-BTU
Thus the price of oil is around 6 times more than the price of gas!
See also EnergyKinetics.com
The United States is awash in natural gas, with new technologies such as the controversial fracking technique. The estimated natural gas US preserve is at a stunning 100 years, in spite of the record consumption of natural gas.
The Philippines should consume more natural gas for electricity generation if it wants to increase the pace of its economic growth and general technology. Forget about the alternative energy sources such as solar, wind or even dirty coal. The production costs and construction costs for natural gas fired powered plants are just too economic to be ignored by the country's planners.
Certainly we should be efficient in the consumption of natural gas. We should build multipurpose natural gas fired power stations as in chemical industrial or refigeration-electicity cogeneration plants. And popularize more gas powered cars and taxis. But we should ensure that systems do not leak! One can get poisoned by leaking taxi gas fuel! Not the best feeling to have.
Of course, natural gas is also a component in methanol conversion plants.
