Natural gas as an energy resource

• Natural gas is often simply referred to as "gas," particularly in comparison to other energy sources such as electric power. The gas we have come to know as an energy resource must undergo a series of processes to remove almost every material except methane before it is useable as fuel. Natural gas is a crucial fuel source as well as a major ingredient for fertilizers and manures, and a powerful greenhouse gas. Natural gas has many uses commercially, industrially, residentially and even in the transportation sector.
  
  

Residential uses

• Natural gas provides one of the most cost-effective forms of energy available to residential consumers. Many home appliances are dependent on natural gas, including ovens, clothes dryers, fireplace logs, furnaces, water heaters, pools, spa heaters and barbecue grills. More than 51 percent of American homes use natural gas as their main source of heat.
  
  

Industrial uses

• Natural gas has several industrial uses, ranging from providing the basic building blocks for many products such as fertilizer, plastic, fabrics and antifreeze to power generation. Industry is the biggest consumer of natural gas, making up to 25 percent of all natural gas uses throughout all sectors. Natural gas has a vital contribution in power generation. It is a major source of electric power through the use of steam turbines and gas turbines because many grid peaking power plants and a few off-grid engine generators run on natural gas.
  
  

Natural gas in the transportation sector

• Compressed natural gas long has been considered a cleaner alternative to gasoline and diesel. Applications of natural gas in the transportation sector include everything from small cars to heavy-duty trucks. With a few exceptions, the energy efficiency is normally the same as gas-powered engines. Natural gas is lighter than air, so in the event of an accident, it simply dissipates into the air rather than forming a fatal combustible pool on the ground like any other liquid fuel. Another important reason of for using natural gas in automobiles is that it significantly reduces the emission of environmentally harmful gasses.
  
  

Commercial uses

• Commercial uses of natural gas resemble residential uses. The commercial sector includes private and public enterprises such as hotels, bistros, restaurants, schools, churches, office buildings and government buildings. The primary application of natural gas in the commercial sector includes water heating and cooling and space heating.