CARPE DIEM: Underground Energy Revolution in PA Without Any Government Interference, Just Consumer Greed

PENN LIVE -- "It’s an underground energy revolution happening in the basements of home after home, throughout the midstate and across Pennsylvania.

For the fiscal year that ended in September, the gas utility UGI completed more than 7,300 residential and 1,600 commercial fuel oil-to-gas conversions, a company record. Yet, the record pace accelerated by another 57 percent in October, November and December, the first quarter of UGI’s 2012 fiscal year. The reason?

“It’s clearly price,” answered Joe Swope, UGI’s communication manager in Reading. “That is the driving factor. Right now, you have a situation where there is just a tremendous price disparity.”

How big are the savings?

UGI estimates that the average family of four will save $1,000 to $1,500 a year at current prices by switching from oil to gas."

MP: Note that this "underground energy revolution" in Pennsylvania is happening automatically and spontaneously without any specialgovernment taxpayer-financed tax breaks, tax credits, incentives or subsidies, but is being driven purely by "consumer greed" because it makes economic sense to switch from fuel oil to natural gas.  When energy sources like natural gas make sense based on their scientific and economic merits, government and political support is unnecessary.  When energy sources like solar (or electric vehicles) don't make sense scientifically and economically, no amount of government support coercively extracted taxpayer money will make those energy sources or vehicles competitive in the long run. 

HT: John Hanger

via mjperry.blogspot.com

BERK: Without Government intervention - 1,000 to 1,500 savings - that buys an iPad or two