In response to a report NationalJournal.com published Wednesday on the relationship between the natural gas and renewable energy industries, America's Natural Gas Alliance President Rod Lowman wrote a letter to the editor saying the story "created the erroneous perception that natural gas and renewables are rivals, rather than partners." Read the full letter after the jump.

Amy Harder's Nov. 18 article ("Potential Allies, Gas and Renewables Grow Apart) created the erroneous perception that natural gas and renewables are rivals, rather than partners.

Renewables are essential to the U.S. energy mix. And natural gas - which is 50 percent cleaner than coal - is critical to increasing renewable power generation. Natural gas turbines can vary their output with precision, and their capacity is essential to wind and solar energy - providing reliable energy when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining. Natural gas-fired generation capacity is essential to ensure the reliability of the electric power grid as wind deployment proceeds.

Nearly all of the natural gas used in America is produced within our borders. And according to the Colorado School of Mines Potential Gas Committee, we have a 100+ year supply in the U.S. Therefore, increasing its use with renewables will not only result in a low-emission energy future, but enhance domestic security as we come to depend less on foreign energy.

The natural gas-renewable trend is clearly under way. In its 2009 Energy Outlook, the U.S. Government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated that "natural gas and renewables provide most of the generating capacity added between 2007 and 2030." In 2008, natural gas and wind energy alone accounted from 90 percent of the nation's new electric power generation.

Power companies across America are also embracing the partnership between natural gas and renewables. General Electric is coupling fast-start gas turbines with renewable projects. In Topeka, KS, Westar is pairing four gas turbines with 300 megawatts' worth of wind capacity widely spread throughout the area. And Florida Power & Light- the nation's largest renewable-energy developer - is in the process of building America's second largest solar plant. In doing so, the company will put its new facility next to a natural gas plant, helping to ensure that power remains constant when the sun isn't shining.

While we understand that there are those who believe natural gas wants to "...beat up on the renewables," nothing could be further from the truth. The objective of natural gas and renewables is one of common interest - helping America reach a low-carbon, energy independent future. And this partnership can help America meet this goal today.

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