Energy Exchange

There are at least a million dead and forgotten oil and natural gas wells dotting the American landscape, many leaking methane and other toxic chemicals into the air and water, long after their productive days are over. In Pennsylvania alone, there are an estimated 300,000 to 700,000 — and estimated is the key word. The fact is, nobody knows. But we do know that thousands of landowners have these ownerless orphan wells on their property, often without knowing it. The first step to solving a problem like this is to locate it. So EDF, together with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Energy, McGill University and Moms Clean Air Force has launched a project to locate and address hidden orphan wells in western Pennsylvania. Drone-mounted magnetometers and advanced methane detection technologies will be honing in on forgotten orphan wells in the area starting in October and November.

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By Micheal Zimmerman and Dakoury Godo-Solo

As medium- and heavy-duty vehicles speed toward electrification, the build-out of charging infrastructure must keep pace. How utilities incorporate transportation into foundational utility functions will inform where, when, and how fast electric vehicles come online. These decisions fall mainly under the authority of state utility regulators (Public Utility Commissions) rather than transportation regulators. Therefore, advocates interested in supporting MHDV electrification should engage with PUCs in addition to more traditional advocacy avenues such as legislation.

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The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program recently announced additional funding awards for Round 1 applicants, totaling $521.19 million in grants to 51 applicants as part of a broader effort to expand electric vehicle  charging. These funds were allocated to urban and rural areas in 29 states, the District of Columbia, and eight Tribal communities. The funds will help deploy infrastructure in communities and across designated Alternative Fuel Corridors , which were announced as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy to increase charging access for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

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Developing a robust charging infrastructure at and around fleet depots and other facilities where trucks operate is critical to enabling the expeditious deployment of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, also known as the 30C tax credit, is one of the most impactful policies for achieving this end and recent proposed guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury could make this credit available for businesses’ 2024 tax filings to support electrification efforts.  

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by Maia Draper & Phillip Martin

Transportation accounts for 24% of greenhouse gas emissions in Texas. Throughout the state, areas with the greatest concentration of traffic are often found to be in nonattainment — a designation from the Environmental Protection Agency that pollution levels exceed air quality standards. Texas’ cities can engage in transportation and environmental planning that reduces pollution and improves health outcomes for communities around the state.

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Fall is a time for many of us to return to work after a (hopefully) relaxing summer break. For many state environmental regulators across the U.S., this fall is also an opportunity to dive in on the important issue of reducing methane emissions from oil and gas development. That’s why it is very encouraging that across the nation from Wyoming to Pennsylvania (and even in Texas) several states are already hard at work. 

The EPA issued new standards to limit oil and gas methane pollution in March that for the first time apply to new and existing wells nationwide. These rules will cut pollution by 80% at covered sources according to EPA’s estimates by requiring a variety of actions like ensuring all wells are inspected regularly for leaks, swapping out polluting devices on wells and phasing out routine flaring at newly drilled wells. 

But for these reductions to be realized at existing facilities, state environmental regulators and EPA must adopt, implement and enforce the requirements. The federal Clean Air Act requires that the implementation plans be fully adopted before the methane standards apply to the older facilities responsible for the bulk of oil and gas methane pollution across the U.S. 

The final rules give states two years to propose implementation plans to EPA, and if they miss that deadline the EPA will issue a federal plan to cover existing sources in any states without plans. Since the oil and gas industry is a substantial source of methane and other forms of health harming pollution, getting these standards in place is critical to protect the climate we all share as well as local communities and the 18 million Americans living within a mile of an oil and gas well. 

Here is how five large oil and gas producing states are leading the way on implementation: 

1. Pennsylvania: Under Gov. Shapiro the second largest natural gas producer in the U.S. Pennsylvania has made strides to address methane pollution and plug orphan wells left abandoned by the oil and gas industry. In January Gov. Shapiro directed his Department of Environmental Protection to take action on “improved control of methane emissions aligned with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently announced performance standards for emission sources in the oil and natural gas sector” and his DEP is already meeting with stakeholders to develop their plan. 
2. Wyoming: As one of the first states to require reduced emission completions at wells, the Cowboy State has long been a leader on sensible regulations to limit oil and gas pollution. And now the state Department of Environmental Quality has already begun regulatory development efforts to implement both EPA’s new and existing source standards.  
3. Colorado: Colorado was the first state to issue oil and gas methane rules in 2014, and a decade later it’s not resting on its laurels. In fact, state regulators are diving in to get stronger standards in place on process controllers and pumps in line with EPA’s requirements in a rulemaking expected to be noticed before the Air Quality Control Commission this November.  
4. Utah: The Beehive State has a quiet history of strong leadership when it comes to protecting communities from oil and gas pollution. Unsurprisingly, the state’s Air Quality Board is already discussing state implementation with an eye towards consistency with the EPA final rules and is pursuing bonding reforms to reduce the risk of well orphaning across the states.
5. Louisiana: After finalizing strengthened requirements on flaring and idle well management last year, Louisiana is already out of the starting blocks on modifications to oil and gas air quality permits to align them with EPA’s methane requirements for new sources.  

Those aren’t the only states working on this: while not yet an official, public move toward a plan, New Mexico is stepping up enforcement of their state level methane rules, and in Texas, home of 40% of the nation’s oil and gas production, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is reminding operators to comply with the new EPA requirements and has laid out a plan to get the existing source standards in place as well.  

Altogether these seven states account for 73% of oil and gas production and 69% of methane emissions nationwide. Their collective efforts to implement, adopt and enforce the new federal oil and gas rules are crucial, and EDF and our partners will continue to engage in and spur these efforts forwards in the months to come.  

Quick action on methane leads to quick results for the planet and strong benefits to public health, so we’re celebrating this bold state leadership that will help deliver on the EPA Methane Rule’s promise!