Abstract The pursuit of future energy systems that can meet electricity demands while supporting the attainment of societal environment goals, including mitigating climate change and reducing pollution in the air, has led to questions regarding the viability of continued use of natural gas. Natural gas use, particularly for electricity generation, has increased in recent years due to enhanced resource availability from non-traditional reserves and pressure to reduce greenhouse gasses (GHG) from higher-emitting sources, including coal generation. While lower than coal emissions, current natural gas power generation strategies primarily utilize combustion with higher emissions of GHG and criteria pollutants than other low-carbon generation options, including renewable resources. Furthermore, emissions from life cycle stages of natural gas production and distribution can have additional detrimental GHG and air quality (AQ) impacts. On the other hand, natural gas power generation can play an important role in supporting renewable resource integration by (1) providing essential load balancing services, and (2) supporting the use of gaseous renewable fuels through the existing infrastructure of the natural gas system. Additionally, advanced technologies and strategies including fuel cells and combined cooling heating and power (CCHP) systems can facilitate natural gas generation with low emissions and high efficiencies. Thus, the role of natural gas generation in the context of GHG mitigation and AQ improvement is complex and multi-faceted, requiring consideration of more than simple quantification of total or net emissions. If appropriately constructed and managed, natural gas generation could support and advance sustainable and renewable energy. In this paper, a review of the literature regarding emissions from natural gas with a focus on power generation is conducted and discussed in the context of GHG and AQ impacts. In addition, a pathway forward is proposed for natural gas generation and infrastructure to maximize environmental benefits and support renewable resources in the attainment of emission reductions.

中文翻译：

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天然气及其基础设施在减少温室气体排放、改善区域空气质量和可再生资源整合方面的作用

摘要 追求既能满足电力需求又能支持实现社会环境目标（包括减缓气候变化和减少空气污染）的未来能源系统，导致了有关继续使用天然气的可行性的问题。由于非传统储备中的资源可用性增加以及减少来自高排放源（包括煤炭发电）的温室气体 (GHG) 的压力，近年来天然气的使用，特别是用于发电，有所增加。虽然低于煤炭排放量，但当前的天然气发电战略主要利用比其他低碳发电选项（包括可再生资源）排放更高的温室气体和标准污染物的燃烧。此外，天然气生产和分配的生命周期阶段的排放可能会产生额外的有害温室气体和空气质量 (AQ) 影响。另一方面，天然气发电可以通过 (1) 提供必要的负载平衡服务，以及 (2) 通过天然气系统的现有基础设施支持气态可再生燃料的使用，在支持可再生资源整合方面发挥重要作用。此外，包括燃料电池和冷热电联产 (CCHP) 系统在内的先进技术和战略可以促进低排放、高效率的天然气发电。因此，天然气发电在温室气体减排和空气质量改善背景下的作用是复杂和多方面的，需要考虑的不仅仅是对总排放量或净排放量的简单量化。如果建设和管理得当，天然气发电可以支持和推动可持续和可再生能源。在本文中，在温室气体和空气质量影响的背景下，以发电为重点，对有关天然气排放的文献进行了回顾和讨论。此外，还提出了天然气发电和基础设施的前进道路，以最大限度地提高环境效益并支持可再生资源实现减排。