Powering the Low-Carbon Economy: The Once and Future Roles of Renewable Energy and Natural Gas

Over the past decade, renewable energy and natural gas have emerged as potential cornerstones of a low-carbon power sector. Wind and solar resources are abundant and can be converted into electricity using technologies that emit no greenhouse gases. Natural gas offers a cleaner alternative to coal that can deliver sharp, immediate reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector—if new supplies can be produced responsibly.

Important synergies between renewable energy and natural gas will allow for reduced dependence on coal, speeding the transition to a low-carbon economy. These synergies emerge when the power system is considered holistically, rather than with the one-solution-for-one-problem approach that electricity system operators have employed historically.