Letter: What are we doing to use natural gas more efficiently? - The Salem News

Letter: What are we doing to use natural gas more efficiently? | Opinion | salemnews.com

To the editor:

I read your article in the Thursday, Oct. 5, Salem News regarding the energy sourcing transformation presentation by the major electric and gas utilities (“Energy providers talk clean energy transformation”) and I felt compelled to comment. While more energy sources are always welcome, the sad fact of the matter is that 74% of Massachusetts energy needs are met by natural gas (methane), and that is not likely to change significantly in the near term (Source: Federal Energy Information Agency).

With that said, what are we doing to use natural gas more efficiently? Home insulation programs will help, but more can and should be done in this area. I was bitterly disappointed that the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) didn’t take a more active role in this effort by selecting fuel cells for the so-called “Peabody Peaker” power plant on the Peabody-Danvers town line, instead of using the utterly conventional, but hugely wasteful gas turbine option that they finally built. Gas turbines are only 40% efficient at best, while fuel cells are more than 90% efficient at converting the energy in the natural gas into electrical energy, which means that you use less gas to get the same electrical energy output, or you get more electrical energy output for the same amount gas used.

The fact that fuel cells can also use hydrogen as a fuel source if that becomes an option, is a nice bonus. Either way, MMWEC squandered a huge opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint.

Robert Atkinson Jr.,

North Reading