What Does the Gulf Spill Mean for Your Energy Bills?

As you are no doubt aware, the environmental catastrophe of the oil spill in the Gulf is nearing two months in length, with untold ramifications still ahead for the region's future. There are many questions out there about what effects this will have not only on the coast, but for the rest of the nation as well. One of the questions that people are asking is about how this oil spill will affect electricity and natural gas prices in the coming months or years.

While burning oil is still used for electricity production in some plants, this makes up for just a small percentage of where the country gets its power. The majority of electricity comes from coal or natural gas, with the former causing more harmful emissions than the latter, as natural gas burns clean. Natural gas is how Texas generates its electricity, which is why natural gas prices are tied so closely with electricity rates and your monthly billing.

There have been rising proponents of using natural gas for electricity, especially now. Even though the oil spill won't affect electricity or energy prices in this region in the immediate future, there are now talks about doing less drilling off the coast, in favor of more natural gas production. Due to this spill, the energy debate is still alive and kicking even more so than before, and there will no doubt be changes in how much we rely on oil, natural gas and coal.

If you have questions about the cleanliness of your energy and where it comes from, visit the EPA's clean energy tool, to read statistics about the electricity in your zip code.