Natural gas is the most economical energy choice . Natural gas is usually the most economical form of energy available regardless of which competing fuel it is measured against, the application involved or the geographical location of the consumer. For instance, using the 1999 average national energy prices published by the Department of Energy, heating an average-size house in a moderate climate costs 5 percent less to heat with gas than with heating oil and 33 percent less than with an electric heat pump. Similarly, using gas to heat household water is about half as expensive as using electricity. Even with the aggressive demand levels of the accelerated projection, gas will remain price-competitive.
Natural gas is a highly reliable North American energy source .
Approximately 85 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States is produced domestically from the nation's extensive gas resource base. Nearly all of the remaining 15 percent is produced in North America, primarily in Canada. In comparison, close to 60 percent of the oil used in the United States is imported from foreign countries, some of which are politically unstable. Furthermore, natural gas is a reliable source of fuel not only because most of the supply is domestic, but also because the pipeline delivery system is underground and protected from weather-related disruptions. For instance, McDonald's and other food chains are testing gas-based distributed generation because they cannot afford power outages that could destroy their food products.