Shale gas could shut out greener alternatives

National Geographic : Over the past five years, shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing has increased; the gas now accounts for a quarter of all natural gas generated in the US. If production continues to expand, natural gas prices will stay low over the next several decades and natural gas will take over more of the US electricity market. That is partially advantageous for the US, but an economic study by MIT’s Henry Jacoby and colleagues indicates that there are potential downsides. Although shale gas will almost certainly push coal out of the energy market—a good thing since coal produces about twice the emissions of natural gas—it’s likely that it will slow the development of renewable energy technologies and of carbon capture and storage by about 20 years.