US energy secretary calls for conservation to help soften natural gas price worries

With natural gas prices an ongoing worry for consumers and businesses, US Sec. of Energy Spencer Abraham Tuesday called on Americans to be more energy efficient at home and at work.

July 2, 2003

2 min read

By OGJ editors
WASHINGTON, DC, July 2 -- With natural gas prices an ongoing worry for consumers and businesses, US Sec. of Energy Spencer Abraham Tuesday called on Americans to be more energy efficient at home and at work.

"America's natural gas shortage effects everyone; from senior citizens, living on fixed incomes, to small business owners trying to keep the lights on," Abraham said, following a tour of the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. "While we work to increase our production and storage capacities for natural gas, we must also focus on using our natural gas resources wisely and to our own best benefit."

Abraham said the challenge this year is to make sure there will be adequate gas supplies at prices consumers can afford. And conservation will help with that goal, he suggested.

Gas demand is expected to rise by as much as 50% over the next 25 years, DOE said. Currently, the nation's gas inventory still lags behind past inventories and rising demand illustrates the need for consumers to become mindful of energy use, officials said.

Abraham said that the advances made by the department's renewable and energy efficient technology research are readily available to the public to employ in their homes and businesses.