In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the massive power outages that followed, many are wondering whether the current electric power grid in America is a sustainable way to supply power to the country.

In a recent Forbes article, the author discusses how the current energy grid is increasingly fragile, and rather than fix it for trillions of dollars, we should consider converting to a natural gas power grid. He cites the 2003 blackouts and Hurricane Sandy as evidence that the so-called “smart grid” was not designed to survive strong winds, storm surges, or debris from storms and other inclement weather. The costs to fix the current system would be massive.

Rather than fix the current system, the author suggest we use a “compelling alternative”- the U.S. natural gas pipeline network. The advantages of a natural gas grid would be that it could transport natural gas to and from any location in the 48 states with over 90% efficiency, and wouldn’t be as susceptible to natural disasters. For the full article, see here: Natural Gas: America’s Future Electric Grid?