Black Hills Energy joins ONE Future Coalition, commits to reduce methane emissions

Black Hills Corp., operating utilities as Black Hills Energy, became the latest natural gas company to join the Our Nation’s Energy Future (ONE Future) Coalition last week, committing to reducing methane emissions throughout the natural gas value chain by 2025.

Members of the coalition are committed to reducing those emissions to 1 percent or less by 2025. While utilities play their part, it also includes companies from the natural gas production, gathering, processing, transmission, storage, and distribution sides of the business, representing more than 15 percent of the value chain in all.

“Social responsibility and sustainability are inherent to our company’s mission and vision,” Linn Evans, president and COO of Black Hills Corporation, said. “With this focus on safety and reliability, we felt membership with ONE Future was not just logical, but imperative, and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on our efforts.”

As a member, Black Hills will have to report its 2020 methane results within the distribution sector. In return, it will be given a seat on the coalition’s board of directors.

Before the new addition, the ONE Future Coalition was already reporting that it had beaten its 1 percent goal in 2019. A report released in November 2020 cited a methane intensity number of 0.334 percent among its members, meaning that it beat its goal by 67 percent. In simpler terms, this means that methane emissions among coalitions members made up less than a percent of all natural gas produced and delivered, demonstrating that such methane restrictions are possible without sacrificing production and throughput.

“Black Hills Energy has shown true commitment to providing safe, reliable, and affordable energy in an environmentally friendly manner,” Richard Hyde, executive director of ONE Future, said. “With this commitment in mind, I look forward to the valuable contributions that I know Black Hills Energy will offer the Coalition.”