John Walliser: Stay the course on methane rules

The need for clean, affordable, reliable sources of energy to power our homes and economy is growing more urgent as energy demands rise and the consequences of unchecked greenhouse gas emissions become increasingly evident in the extreme weather events threatening every community.

Pennsylvania has long been an energy powerhouse and will require an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that embraces newer clean technologies like wind and solar while reducing emissions from traditional sources of energy. Meeting the need for energy is inseparable from the need to do things right.

Federal rules requiring oil and gas operators to reduce methane leaks from equipment used in the production and delivery of natural gas are key to accomplishing the latter. These rules, which were developed with input from the industry, are good for energy consumers, the environment and industry itself.

Finding and fixing methane leaks not only reduces emissions of an extremely potent greenhouse gas — one that is much more damaging to the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide — it also prevents waste of the resource. Between leaks and intentional release through venting and flaring, natural gas operations in the U.S. alone waste enough gas to meet the needs of 12 million households. Curbing waste means bringing more product to market, benefiting companies and consumers alike.

Study after study has shown these benefits are already within reach at little or no net cost to operators. And for operators in Pennsylvania, where methane emissions average lower than in other basins across the country, federal methane controls provide a competitive advantage.

That’s true for export markets as well. Countries that import natural gas, which include the entire European Union, are implementing standards that place limits on how much methane can be emitted in imported gas. If the industry wants to stay competitive, they’ll need to prove Pennsylvania’s gas exports meet that mark.

In effect, methane mitigation is fundamental to the continued role of natural gas in the clean energy transition, both from an environmental and an economic standpoint. It also represents an economic opportunity in its own right — especially for Pennsylvania, where employment in the mitigation sector has increased 22% in just the last three years.

As Pennsylvania begins to implement these rules, decision-makers at the federal and state levels should keep these economic, waste reduction and environmental benefits of reducing methane leakage firmly in mind, especially given the debate swirling in Washington DC around even the most commonsense standards. Pennsylvania can be a model for doing things right.

John Walliser is senior vice president for legal and government affairs for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.