AGL chief: Future bright for gas, until it runs out

In 100 years, all of our natural gas may be gone. But in the meantime, it'll take on a bigger role in powering our lives. So says John Somerhalder, chairman, president, and CEO of AGL Resources, parent company of Atlanta Gas Light as he addressed Buckhead Rotary on Monday.

Somerhalder says since natural gas burns cleaner than coal and faces less regulatory and community opposition, more gas plants are getting the green light than coal-fired power plants, shifting our energy portfolio toward gas.

In this week's podcast, Somerhalder says the next president's administration must develop a balanced energy policy as surging world demand strains supply. He says renewable energy sources, now providing about six percent of our needs, have no prospects for exceeding 25 percent.

He reports studies that show we'll run out of natural gas in 80-100 years, but by then we will be harnessing ocean waves and other energy sources to meet our growing needs.