New open-source protocols for measuring and reporting methane emissions could point the way toward a future with cleaner energy infrastructure, Andrew writes.
Why it matters: New voluntary guidance of how to conduct methane emissions inventories comes from a partnership between the energy industry and watchdog groups, called Veritas.
Zoom in: The effort includes a group of major oil and gas players, such as Chevron, ExxonMobil and EQT Corp., along with environmental groups like the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) and RMI.
The new standards cover multiple segments of the natural gas supply chain, from production to delivery.
The big picture: Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and in recent years, global emissions have been increasing. This is despite a pledge by more than 100 countries to cut them by 30% by 2030.
Remote sensing has revealed methane super emitters in the U.S. and elsewhere, finding leaky well sites, pipelines and other infrastructure to be more pervasive than thought.
Between the lines: The new guidelines were not designed for the new EPA methane emissions draft rule or other specific regulations, though a GTI Energy spokesperson said the group is informing regulators of the methodology.
What they’re saying: “We need reliable measurements and strong verification programs to make sure that the emissions that companies day are coming from their equipment is actually the reality,” Leslie Feldman, a research and analysis manager at CATF, told Axios.
