It's just tight, much tighter than it's been before, and that does have people spooked about the 'what-if' possibility. Oddly enough, one reason natural gas has become expensive of late is because it's been comparatively cheap compared to other fuels. With natural gas prices low, and with warmer winters cutting homeowner demand, producers in recent years have been slow to invest in the infrastructure to tap new natural gas sources. After three years of a very warm winter, and very solid economic growth, the demand for natural gas has risen a great deal, and the supply really hasn't risen very much. In order to loosen things up, suppliers will have to tap more resources and build new delivery capacity, including pipelines.
Natural gas is transported by pipeline to urban areas or industrial centers.
Although natural gas can be liquefied for easier transport by truck or ship, this process is more expensive, and therefore domestic sources for natural gas are preferable to imports. Approximately 13 percent of natural gas is imported, and only about 1 percent of North American natural gas is exported. Oil, too, is easier to transport because it does not have to be converted to be shipped by tanker. The reduction of greenhouse gases is one reason why natural gas use is promoted not only for power plants but for large vehicles as well. Approximately one third of California's electrical energy is generated by natural gas, and that figure is expected to rise to 38 percent by 2009.