Natural Gas Energy Efficiency: Progress and Opportunities

Natural gas efficiency efforts generally receive less attention than programs to save electricity. To help rectify this imbalance, this report surveys natural gas efficiency trends and looks ahead at issues and opportunities. We begin by discussing past efficiency progress including the contribution of new technologies, price effects, building codes, appliance and equipment efficiency standards, and utility-funded energy efficiency programs. Looking forward, we find that despite the current low price of natural gas, substantial cost-effective natural gas savings are still available. Finally, we discuss several other efficiency-related opportunities for natural gas including combined heat and power (CHP), transportation fuels, coordination with electric and water utilities, and fuel switching.