Federal/State Programs
DOE/Office of Fossil Energy Programs
As America's need for energy grows, DOE is meeting the challenge by developing clean fuel initiatives to make the most of traditional fossil fuels and investing in cutting edge research to identify new energy sources like hydrogen fuels and fusion technologies.
Fossil fuels - coal, oil, and natural gas - currently provide more than 85% of all the energy consumed in the United States, nearly two-thirds of our electricity, and virtually all of our transportation fuels. Moreover, it is likely that the Nation's reliance on fossil fuels to power an expanding economy will actually increase over at least the next two decades even with aggressive development and deployment of new renewable and nuclear technologies.
Because our economic health depends on the continued availability of reliable and affordable fossil fuels, DOE's Office of Fossil Energy overseas research and development of future fossil energy technologies. Innovative technologies can make the future production and use of fossil fuels more efficient and environmentally cleaner. DOE's Fossil Energy program, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory, is developing a full array of new technologies that can locate and produce oil and gas beyond the reach of today's technologies, overcome the environmental challenges of using coal, and extract clean-burning hydrogen from fossil fuels. In addition, the Office of Fossil Energy supports several initiatives to develop clean fuels from hydrogen and cleaner burning coal.
Other Oil and Gas Program Initiatives
EPA Natural Gas STAR Program
The Natural Gas STAR Program is a flexible, voluntary partnership between EPA and the oil and natural gas industry. Through the Program, EPA works with production, processing, and transmission and distribution companies to identify and promote the implementation of cost-effective technologies and practices to reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
By working together to prevent gas losses, EPA and industry are successfully protecting the environment and improving profitability. Today, the program has over 100 partner companies and is endorsed by 11 major industry trade associations. Since the Program began in 1993, Natural Gas STAR partners have eliminated more than 176 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of methane emissions. This is the equivalent of removing more than 13.9 million cars from the road for one year or planting 21.3 million acres of trees. At the same time, these companies have saved $528 million by keeping more gas in their systems for sale in the market.
See all Federal/State Programs
Page Last Modified: August 7, 2008
