The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a voluntary Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program, through which oil and natural gas companies can make and track commitments to reduce methane emissions.
Methane Emissions
EPA Issues A Draft Methane Challenge Reduction Program For The Oil And Gas Sector
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New government stats on falling carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electrical power generation point to a good-news story on energy and climate, one that should grab the attention of policymakers nationally and in the states. Take a look at this chart from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA): The blue-green line plots CO2 emissions from… Keep reading →
Energy News Roundup: Renewable Industries Applaud CPP, Russia Submits Claim To Arctic Territories & Methane Leaks Surpassing Estimates
By Conor O'Sullivan
The Obama administration’s new Clean Power Plan has been welcomed by renewable industries since its announcement on Monday, consolidating the changes in electricity generation, and the recent boom in solar and wind energy. [The Washington Post] Russia has submitted a bid to the UN claiming vast territories of the Arctic, the country’s foreign ministry announced on… Keep reading →
Some thoughts on EPA’s proposed program to encourage voluntary methane emissions reductions from existing sources. The Methane Challenge Program would expand on the Natural Gas STAR program by recognizing companies that make specific emissions reduction commitments and agree to submit annual data on the progress they’re making. First, industry supports voluntary. The program could… Keep reading →
Sizing Up EPA’s New Voluntary Methane Reduction Program
By Environmental Defense Fund Energy Exchange Blog
The U.S. oil and gas industry released more than 7.3 million metric tons of methane into the atmosphere in 2013, a three percent increase over 2012 – that’s an amount of gas worth nearly $2 billion, and enough to supply about 6 million American homes. The sector is the largest source of industrial methane pollution… Keep reading →
New Study Emphasizes Need To Find And Fix Methane Leaks; Reveals Limits Of Voluntary Action
By Environmental Defense Fund Energy Exchange Blog
A study published today in Environmental Science & Technology confirms official figures from the Environmental Protection Agency showing that an enormous amount of methane – about 80 billion cubic feet per year – is escaping from thousands of key nodes along the nation’s natural gas interstate pipeline system. This equals the 20-year climate impact of… Keep reading →
Four Things To Look For In EPA’s New Voluntary Methane Reduction Proposal
By Environmental Defense Fund Energy Exchange Blog
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soon expected to propose its new “enhanced” Natural Gas STAR program, providing guidelines for oil and gas companies that want to voluntarily work to reduce their methane emissions. Calls for voluntary measures by industry to address this pollution have increased in recent months, as the EPA is set to… Keep reading →
IEA: Reducing Oil & Gas Methane Key To Curbing Climate Change
By Environmental Defense Fund Energy Exchange Blog
Last Friday, the incoming head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Faith Birol, provided a briefing to U.S. stakeholders about IEA’s new special report on climate change, which found that global emissions could peak by the end of this decade without reducing economic growth. The report outlines five key pillars for turning the emissions corner by… Keep reading →
Natural gas can deliver substantial carbon emissions reductions when displacing coal, and the United States has taken good advantage of it in the past several years. But the U.S. experience might be “one moment in time and space,” says Stockholm Environment Institute senior scientist Michael Lazarus, lead author of a new paper [PDF] on gas and… Keep reading →
Big Question About Industry’s Newest Climate Effort
By Environmental Defense Fund Energy Exchange Blog
Europe’s largest oil companies are reportedly working together on a policy strategy leading up to this year’s international climate talks in Paris. It’s nice to hear that some of the biggest players in the global oil and gas industry want to engage in solutions, but it remains to be seen if they will take the… Keep reading →
