Reducing Methane Emissions: An Important Part of a Clean Energy Future

Recently the EPA released its final rules on methane emissions. The rules aim to crack down on leaked emissions from new sources of oil and gas production, processing and transmission equipment. It is the first time the EPA has directly addressed methane pollution.
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Recently the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rules on methane emissions. The rules aim to crack down on leaked emissions of methane from new sources of oil and gas production, processing and transmission equipment. The new rules also represent the first time the EPA has directly addressed methane pollution. This is a critical component to the White House's goal of cutting methane emissions from oil and gas companies by 40 to 45 percent by 2025. It is also a critical component of moving towards a future based on clean energy.

While these rules cover the upstream oil and gas industry, they are significant for the electric power sector too. Electricity generation is the largest end-use for natural gas, and between 2000 and 2015, the share of U.S. electricity generated by natural gas more than doubled from 16% to 33%. It might not be popular to say in some circles, but this is a good thing. Over the last decade, natural gas displacing coal has been the dominant factor in the decline of CO2 emissions in the power sector, which are now at a 27-year low.

In addition to lowering the emission rate of electricity production, natural gas power also supports the large-scale deployment of renewable energy. Just like you can effortlessly turn up or down the dial on a gas stove to adjust the flame, natural gas power plants can quickly adjust power output in sync with the natural variations of wind and solar energy. This is known as load-following, and it's what's necessary to avoid power outages and power surges. Nuclear and coal have far more limited load-following ability. And until the economics of large-scale battery storage improve, the flexibility provided by natural gas plants is the key to dramatically increasing wind and solar energy while maintaining grid reliability.

But here's the thing: between the gas well and the power plant, natural gas travels through a complex system of pipelines, compressors, storage tanks and processing equipment. Controlling methane emissions throughout that journey is a challenge that must be taken seriously. The recent EPA rules apply only to yet-to-be-built infrastructure. Looking ahead, the White House plans to propose regulations on existing infrastructure. These rules make sense even for producers. According to the White House fact sheet, "Reducing methane emissions means capturing valuable fuel that is otherwise wasted and reducing other harmful pollutants - a win for public health and the economy."

Sustainability is at the heart of the clean energy industry and we must support the EPA and the Administration in their implementation of key policies to address climate change, including responsible action towards a cleaner natural gas supply chain. This is how the foundation of the clean energy future gets built especially until the world can be powered 100% by renewable sources.

Thanks to Navid Ahdieh for his contributions to this post.

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