For the final two HW assignments (#9 due 12/5/01, and #10 due 12/12/01), the focus will be on natural gas use for electricity generation in the Pacific Northwest. You have been sent a report on this, entitled "Convergence". Additional information on electricity generation in the Pacific Northwest is contained in the Week 4 notes on the course web site – see the latter slides in "Saturday Football Lecture". Also see the national and state information on energy use on the "eia.doe.gov" web site contained in the xls spread sheet (341.01.HW9.energydata.xls) e-mailed to you.

1. How much natural are we talking about? That is:
1. How much natural gas is currently used per year in Washington State? Express your information as trillions of std cubic feet, as quads, and as the % of natural gas used in the USA (ie, natural gas used in WA x 100/natural gas used in the USA).
2. What is breakdown on end point use? That is, for Washington State, what are the amounts and the percentages of natural gas used by residences, by commercial establishments, by industry, and by electricity generators. This information may be determined by examining the "blue" columns on the spread sheet e-mailed to you. "Percentage" means the percentage of energy provided by natural gas for each end point use. For example, what percentage of residential energy is provided by natural gas? (This is the direct use of natural gas – it does not count the electricity used by the homeowner that was generated from natural gas. This is counted under electricity.)
2. How does Washington State compare to the rest of USA? Are our residences more or less dependent on natural gas than the rest of the USA? What about our commercial establishments? What about our industry? What about our electrical generation? This information may be determined by examining the "yellow" columns on the spread sheet.
3. What are the projections for the future? How much natural gas is Washington State likely to use in 2010 and in 2020 for the end point sectors. What are the growth percentages? The "Convergence" document contains this information.
4. From where, and from whom, do we get our natural gas? Where are the pipelines? Where do they start? Is there increasing pressure from other parts of North America for this gas? The "Convergence" document contains this information.
5. What type of equipment is used to generate electricity from natural gas? This has been discussed in class. Where are the new gas-fired electrical generating stations located in the Pacific Northwest? See "Convergence". How many MWs of gas-fired electrical generating capacity will be on line by the end of 2001? See "Convergence". How does this compare to the total electrical capacity in Washington State? See "Football Lecture". How does it compare to the "big 5" electrical generating sites in Washington State? See "Football Lecture".
6. Would it be more efficient to directly heat our homes and commercial establishments on natural gas, or to heat our homes on electricity generated from the natural gas? Efficiencies for residential heating systems have been discussed in class. Note the nominal transmission and distribution loss is 10% of the electrical energy generated at the power plant.
7. What is the recent (last few years) price history of natural gas? The current spot price of natural gas is about $2.50 per million BTUs. This can determined from "Convergence" or from the "Football Lecture". You may also wish to consult (www.eia.doe.gov).
8. What about wind turbines? Could they provide a significant amount of reasonably priced electricity compared to natural gas? See "Football Lecture".