As the cleanest of all fossil fuels, natural gas is quickly becoming the fuel of choice for the future. It also is safe, inexpensive and easily available in many places around the United States. These qualities are helping to boost consumer demand, which at more than 22 trillion cubic feet per year is an all-time high. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that demand for natural gas will reach 30 Tcf by 2012. This means that the natural gas pipeline industry must respond with more facilities to supply the additional demand for natural gas.