# The future of natural gas

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2021-12-09
- Length: 46m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas

## Summary

Andy Lubershane, senior vice president for research & strategy at Energy Impact Partners, discusses the complex future of natural gas in a decarbonized world, arguing that eliminating it immediately is impractical due to hard-to-abate sectors like building heating. He highlights upstream methane leakage as an existential threat to natural gas's role as a bridge fuel, while exploring decarbonization pathways such as blue and turquoise hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and carbon capture. Lubershane also warns of a potential 'natural gas death spiral' driven by cheap solar and distributed energy resources, suggesting that preserving existing infrastructure for industrial hydrogen production and residential resilience is critical.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=8) Introduction: The complexity of decarbonizing natural gas
- [4:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=285) Why natural gas cannot be eliminated immediately
- [6:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=415) The existential threat of upstream methane emissions
- [12:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=749) The natural gas death spiral and declining market share
- [20:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=1228) Decarbonizing gas: Methane hocking and carbon capture
- [23:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=1436) Blue vs. Turquoise hydrogen and solid carbon recovery
- [27:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=1631) Renewable natural gas (RNG) and biomass gasification
- [31:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=1864) Challenges of blending hydrogen into existing pipelines
- [37:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=2271) Electrification limits and the role of building heat
- [42:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas#t=2527) The future role of natural gas in resilience and industry

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Energy Impact Partners (company)
- EnergyHub (company)
- Post Script Media (company)
- Canary Media (company)
- Atmos Financial (company)
- Environmental Defense Fund (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Turning Air, Water, and Sunlight into Natural Gas: Casey Handmer’s Vision for Sustainable Energy Part 1](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-12-05-turning-air-water-and-sunlight-into-natural-gas-casey-handmers-vision-for-sustai) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [The Future of Energy: Generating Sustainable Natural Gas with Casey Handmer of Terraform Industries Part 2](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-12-19-the-future-of-energy-generating-sustainable-natural-gas-with-casey-handmer-of-te) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Clean Hydrogen on Demand with Max Mankin, CTO and Co-founder of Modern Electron, and Mothusi Pahl, Vice President of Business Development at Modern Electron](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-10-27-clean-hydrogen-on-demand-with-max-mankin-cto-and-co-founder-of-modern-electron-a) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Andrei Klochko: Reversible Heat Pumps, Decarbonization, and Earth vs Mars | Hard Tech Podcast #6](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-14-andrei-klochko-reversible-heat-pumps-decarbonization-and-earth-vs-mars-hard-tech) (Hard Tech Podcast)
- [232 - Talking COP28 and Climate Science with, you know, a climate scientist! Roger Pielke, Jr](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-12-07-232-talking-cop28-and-climate-science-with-you-know-a-climate-scientist-roger-pi) (People of Packaging)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-09-the-future-of-natural-gas. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.