Ethylene is the top petrochemical produced worldwide with continuously growing production capacity. Steam Pyrolysis of straight run hydrocarbons is the conventional technology for producing ethylene for more than 50 years. Currently the feedstock of choice domestically is ethane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane (C2-ODH) is an alternative catalytic technology for producing ethylene using a natural gas feedstock. North American olefin plants have switched from a heavy petroleum feedstock to a light ethane feedstock due to the shale revolution. The M1 catalyst, advanced by co-author, Dr. Anne M. Gaffney, selectively and exothermically transforms ethane to ethylene under mild conditions (300-400 degrees C, 4-7 atm). A comparison of the two technologies shows the energy and cost savings of C2-ODH along with the promising future for oxidative dehydrogenation technology. Published by Elsevier B.V.