As the Bay Area region continues to grow in both urban development and population, the requirement for more energy to power urban growth will be emense. Currently, natural gas accounts for a large portion of the San Francisco Bay Area's energy allowance. While natural gas itself is a seemingly unimpactful presence as far as how massive the material is, the infrastructure needed to supply the region is vast and weighty. The overwhelming majority of Californian natural gas actually comes from out-of-state and international sites, where it is transported through a network of above grade and subterranean pipelines. As the pipelines cross national, state, and county lines, they influence the ways in which urban growth occurs. Pipelines create new boundaries and territories where municipal exchanges of ownership and commerce shape the way the region acquires its energy. The very process associated with this form of energy distribution has allowed for California to take advantage of far off supplies of natural gas. Furthermore, the ability to store, transport, and convert natural gas into electricity has influence the planning of the region. The parameters associated with natural gas in the Bay Area are constantly influx and able to change based on gas supply, socio-political boundaries, emerging technologies, and material scarcity. The impermanence of the Bay Area energy climate raises the need to continue to push the envelope of energy distribution and the infrastructures that make that process possible. By recontextualizing natural gas energy distribution, we can begin to uncover new issues or processes in which we can further view infrastructure in this emerging megaregion.
Current network of natural gas lines in the San Francisco Bay Area
STORAGE PARASITES
San Francisco is the largest consumer of energy with respect to the SF Bay Area energy allowance due to its high building and population density. Rather than store gas offsite and risk high transmission losses, high rises could become hosts to storage cells.
San Francisco is the largest consumer of energy with respect to the SF Bay Area energy allowance due to its high building and population density. Rather than store gas offsite and risk high transmission losses, high rises could become hosts to storage cells.
PIGGY BACK
Currently, many of the pipelines that service the SF Bay Area run independent of the transportation infrastructures. Finding commonalities and integrating the two systems would help create a more optimized system that would be more easily maintiained.
Currently, many of the pipelines that service the SF Bay Area run independent of the transportation infrastructures. Finding commonalities and integrating the two systems would help create a more optimized system that would be more easily maintiained.
VACANT STORAGE
Due to the strain on square footage aquisitions in a growing mega region, new natural gas stations will most likely not be able to find new land to build on. Therefore, adapting to vacant lots will be the most economical.
Due to the strain on square footage aquisitions in a growing mega region, new natural gas stations will most likely not be able to find new land to build on. Therefore, adapting to vacant lots will be the most economical.
ELECTRONIC TAKE OVER
Due to the massive transmission losses associated with electricity, natural gas will become the primary means of powering and heating the residential sector. The money saved by the electricity comanies can be used to help develop high capacity electricity storage.
Due to the massive transmission losses associated with electricity, natural gas will become the primary means of powering and heating the residential sector. The money saved by the electricity comanies can be used to help develop high capacity electricity storage.
PETROLEUM TAKE OVER
More harmful to the environment and a deminishing stockpile will continue to put strain on the petroleum industry. Natural gas could be used to power the transportation sector in the San Francisco Bay Area.
More harmful to the environment and a deminishing stockpile will continue to put strain on the petroleum industry. Natural gas could be used to power the transportation sector in the San Francisco Bay Area.
DISPLACEMENT COAST
Future development of subterranean pipelines will prove to have a very subtractive effect on the site of these new pipelines. The soil subtracted from the pipeline sites could be transported to help create new land for developments in the future.
Future development of subterranean pipelines will prove to have a very subtractive effect on the site of these new pipelines. The soil subtracted from the pipeline sites could be transported to help create new land for developments in the future.
PIPELINE MINING
Older pipelines were made out of copper and high-grade steel, which can be quite valuable. With strains on materials in the future, these older, decomissioned pipelines will be dug up an recycled in order to supply metal markets.
Older pipelines were made out of copper and high-grade steel, which can be quite valuable. With strains on materials in the future, these older, decomissioned pipelines will be dug up an recycled in order to supply metal markets.
VALUE MINING
In order to not disturb valuable land, pipelines will be harvested in accordance to the lowest valued land first.
In order to not disturb valuable land, pipelines will be harvested in accordance to the lowest valued land first.
TOTAL TAKE OVER
California could potentially be sitting on a gigantic field of natural gas. If so, a switch to an energy infrastrucutre supplied soley by natural gas could allow for California and the San Francisco Bay Area to independently power the state while boosting the economy with energy exports.
California could potentially be sitting on a gigantic field of natural gas. If so, a switch to an energy infrastrucutre supplied soley by natural gas could allow for California and the San Francisco Bay Area to independently power the state while boosting the economy with energy exports.
FRONTIER PODS
Over the past decade, the highest population growth in the SF Bay Area has been in newer towns and not in larger cities. To better serve these future urban populations, natural gas stations will be constructed near these developments.
Over the past decade, the highest population growth in the SF Bay Area has been in newer towns and not in larger cities. To better serve these future urban populations, natural gas stations will be constructed near these developments.
CREDITS
Garrett Ryan Miller
Slipscale seminar_j. stein
California College of the Arts_Spring 2012
Garrett Ryan Miller
Slipscale seminar_j. stein
California College of the Arts_Spring 2012
