Renewable Waste Turned To Natural Gas By Scientists, Gas Storage Falling

Inefficiency is something that renewable energy struggles with even with current technology, but thanks to a new discovery by scientists, it’s possible to create natural gas from the waste of wind or solar power. This is a timely discovery as well since the stores of natural gas have gone down in recent years according to new data.

The discovery is the brainchild of Laurens Mets, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, Phys.org reports. It involves the creation of select microorganisms that are specifically evolved and unicellular in nature. These microorganisms then interact with electricity and are able to convert it into methane gas.

This helps to address one of the main problems that investors and backers have with regards to renewable energy, which is a means of efficiently monetizing its every aspect, along with reducing costs. The discovery is currently being used by the university as a commercial venture in the form of a startup called Electrochaea.

With the discovery being largely supported by the university, it is now part of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. According to Mets, this opportunity is actually a boon and is largely unheard of in the field.

"Direct scaling at this pace and scale is rare in the energy field," Mets said. "But we found this technology to be eminently scalable, so I'm very confident about its commercialization."

Looking at the market, it’s no surprise that investors might be clamoring to find a new way to produce natural gas. According to the latest data from the federal government, gas storage numbers are falling, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The last two weeks have been particularly harrowing for the natural gas market, with prices surging to record numbers. According to the data, forecast on harvest and storage of natural gas will be lower thanks to the impending cold season. Experts are already expecting the prices to follow suit.