American Gas Association backs DOE’s initiative to reduce methane emissions

The American Gas Association (AGA) voiced its support for the U.S. Department of Energy’s focus on funding technologies designed to reduce methane emissions.

The DOE recently announced it will award up to $35 million for a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program focused on developing technologies to reduce methane emissions. AGA applauded the initiative as it is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through innovation, new and modernized infrastructure, and advanced technologies.

“We fully support Secretary Granholm and the Biden Administration’s efforts to identify innovative ways to further reduce methane emissions from the natural gas delivery system as it continues to play a critical role in achieving our nation’s energy and environmental goals,” AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert said. “We continuously examine our 2.6 million miles of infrastructure for methane reduction opportunities and are investing in ways to help other industries reduce emissions by injecting their methane into our delivery system. Many AGA members are also piloting new technologies to reduce methane emissions from their day-to-day operations, and research funding from ARPA-E will help accelerate those efforts.”

Natural gas utilities have been able to reduce methane emissions by 73 percent through various measures, according to the 2020 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the EPA Inventory, as little as 0.1 percent of the natural gas delivered nationwide is emitted from the local distribution systems owned and operated by America’s natural gas utilities.

AGA’s Climate Change Position Statement lists 10 commitments for reducing emissions and eight principles for an effective national policy approach to addressing climate change. One of those 10 commitments is further reducing methane emissions from natural gas utility systems.

“Utilities are committed to taking both an upstream and downstream approach by encouraging natural gas suppliers to continue to take steps to lower their methane emissions. New in 2021 – completing a two-year effort – we have expanded this effort by engaging natural gas producers and the midstream companies on a reporting platform that encompasses the entire value chain and calls for using consistent protocols to report their methane intensity. This is not meant to replace regulations, but to provide a meaningful tool to increase transparency and to continue to decrease emissions,” AGA Chair David Anderson said at a recent meeting of the CFA Society of New York.