Methane hydrate is a natural form of clathrate - a chemical substance in which one molecule forms a lattice around a "guest" molecule with chemical bonding. In this clathrate, the guest molecule is methane and the lattice is formed by water to form an ice-like solid. Methane hydrate has become the focus of international attention because of the vast potential for human use worldwide. If methane can be produced from hydrate, a reasonable assumption given that there are no obvious technical or engineering roadblocks to commercial production, the nation's natural gas energy supply could be extended for many years to come. This report reviews the Department of Energy's (DOE) Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program, the project selection process, and projects funded to date. It makes recommendations on how the DOE program could be improved. Key recommendations include focusing DOE program emphasis and research in 7 priority areas; incorporating greater scientific oversight in the selection, initiation, monitoring, and assessment of major projects funded by the DOE; strengthening DOE's contribution to education and training through funding of fellowships, and providing project applicants with a set of instructions and guidelines outlining requirements for timely and full disclosure of project results and consequences of noncompliance.

Natural gas, composed mostly of methane, is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels, emitting 25-50% less carbon dioxide than either oil or coal for each unit of energy produced. In recent years, natural gas supplied approximately 20-25% of all energy consumed in the United States. Methane hydrate is a potentially enormous and as yet untapped source of methane. The Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program has been tasked since 2000 to implement and coordinate a national methane hydrate research effort to stimulate the development of knowledge and technology necessary for commercial production of methane from methane hydrate in a safe and environmentally responsible way. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States evaluates the program's research projects and management processes since its congressional re-authorization in 2005, and presents recommendations for its future research and development initiatives.

This fascinating book explores the pros and cons of the top 25 green electricity technologies, illuminating how each technology works and detailing the key hurdles each emerging energy strategy has to overcome before it becomes a viable option. Our existing electric utility industry and power supply and delivery systems are woefully outdated. Indeed, the existing power grid we use today uses 100-year-old technology! This book lays out the possible blueprints for a greener future in a way that will engage middle school learners, enabling students and teachers to explore the emerging energy technologies that could become the future of our electrical supply system. In Part 1 of Green Electricity: 25 Green Technologies That Will Electrify Your Future, the author describes the amazing patchwork of 1,300 power plants and over 5 million miles of wire that comprise our national grid and reveals the environmental damages it produces. Part 2 examines the 25 leading ecofriendly contenders to modernize and replace our current grid, describing each proposed technology and how it works. Other relevant information is also provided, such as a qualitative assessment of the pluses, minuses, and limitations of each system, and an assessment of that technology's potential to contribute to our future electrical appetite.