A review of water and greenhouse gas impacts of unconventional natural gas development in the United States
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43581_2015_Article_4.pdf
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1.18 MB
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Checksum (MD5)
91dd0eecb60ed81be2b73605306b97b4
Author(s)
Arent, Douglas
Logan, Jeffrey
Macknick, Jordan
Boyd, William
Medlock, Kenneth
O'Sullivan, Francis Martin
Edmonds, Jae
Clarke, Leon
Huntington, Hillard
Heath, Garvin
Date Issued
2015
Journal
MRS Energy & Sustainability : A Review Journal
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Citation
Arent, Douglas et al. "A review of water and greenhouse gas impacts of unconventional natural gas development in the United States." MRS Energy & Sustainability 2, 1 (June 2015): E4 © 2015 Cambridge University Press
Version
Final published version
Abstract
This paper reviews recent developments in the production and use of unconventional natural gas in the United States with a focus on water and greenhouse gas emission implications. If unconventional natural gas in the U.S. is produced responsibly, transported and distributed with little leakage, and incorporated into integrated energy systems that are designed for future resiliency, it could play a significant role in realizing a more sustainable energy future; however, the increased use of natural gas as a substitute for more carbon intensive fuels will alone not substantially alter world carbon dioxide concentration projections.
This paper reviews recent developments in the production and use of unconventional natural gas in the United States with a focus on environmental impacts. Specifically, we focus on water management and greenhouse gas emission implications. If unconventional natural gas in the United States is produced responsibly, transported and distributed with little leakage, and incorporated into integrated energy systems that are designed for future resiliency, it could play a significant role in realizing a more sustainable energy future. The cutting-edge of industry water management practices gives a picture of how this transition is unfolding, although much opportunity remains to minimize water use and related environmental impacts. The role of natural gas to mitigate climate forcing is less clear. While natural gas has low CO2 emissions upon direct use, methane leakage and long term climate effects lead to the conclusion that increased use of natural gas as a substitute for more carbon intensive fuels will not substantially alter world carbon dioxide concentration projections, and that other zero or low carbon energy sources will be needed to limit GHG concentrations. We conclude with some possible avenues for further work.
MIT Department
MIT Energy Initiative
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2015.5
