![]() We also use some of the world’s most advanced materials science to develop specialized alloys and coatings that can tolerate ever higher temperatures and stresses. Today we use supercomputers to design our castings and the internal passageways that are used to cool them during service. To make our most advanced turbine components, we use a modern-day version of this ancient Egyptian technology. While many good people have been convinced that anything related to fossil fuel is bad, I think the evidence of the past decade is very clear that natural gas power generation in combination with renewables is creating a cleaner US power grid that enables greater prosperity. And further good news is that with natural gas and renewables both becoming much less expensive in recent years, we’re also reducing the cost of electricity while we decarbonize. The result is that we are rapidly decarbonizing the US electrical grid and also improving local air quality. In recent years, the United States has been retiring older inefficient coal power plants and replacing them with a combination of combined-cycle gas turbines and intermittent renewables. ![]() ![]() And this combination of highly efficient and flexible natural gas along with renewables is having an impact. ![]() If we want to continue to add more renewable power to our grid, flexible natural gas will also be necessary – at least until next-generation energy storage technologies become more affordable and scalable (we’re working on these too).
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