Energy Exchange

Analysis: Cutting oil and gas methane is one of Canada’s most affordable climate solutions

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 18, 2023

New research confirms that cutting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is one of the fastest and most affordable steps Canada can take to help address the climate crisis. According to the report by Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, Canada’s upstream oil and gas companies can eliminate 75% of their methane emissions at an average cost of about $11 per tonne.

This is one of the biggest bargains that exists when it comes to climate solutions. For example, were oil and gas companies subject to Canada’s entire carbon price, they would need to pay $65 per tonne of carbon pollution they create. By 2030, this figure will rise to $170 per tonne. Meanwhile, technologies that can directly capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are estimated to cost between $125 and $335 USD per tonne, an astronomical figure compared to methane abatement. Read More »

Posted in Methane, Methane regulatons, Natural Gas / Comments are closed

New health study shows cost of oil and gas pollution in Appalachia

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 14, 2023

By John Rutecki

Earlier this summer, EDF, Boston University School of Public Health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute for the Environment and PSE Healthy Energy published a peer-reviewed study that quantified the health impacts of oil and gas pollution, both in dollar value and human lives. The study found that in 2016 alone, pollution from oil and gas production caused $77 billion in health damages across the U.S and thousands of early deaths. Appalachian states had some of the highest health damage rates, especially on a per capita basis. Across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia there were over 1,000 deaths from oil and gas pollution, with some of the highest rates of childhood asthma exacerbations in the country.

Posted in Air Quality, Jobs, Methane, Ohio / Authors: admin / Comments are closed

Without action, unreported methane pollution from Saskatchewan could threaten Canada’s climate goals and create more fallout from climate change

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 13, 2023

By Ari Pottens and Scott Seymour

It’s no secret that the rampant, out-of-control wildfires which are devastating parts of Canada and creating toxic air quality conditions for millions of people, are exacerbated by climate change. This makes it all the more crucial to rapidly reduce the greenhouse gases behind the climate crisis.

In 2020, Canada’s federal government implemented new regulations to stem the methane emitted from the oil and gas industry — the leading source of methane in the country. The protections were intended to help cut emissions by 40% – 45% by 2025. Subsequently, the federal government significantly increased its methane ambition and set a 75% reduction goal by 2030.

But a new study is revealing some problems with the way Saskatchewan is managing emissions from a very specific type of oil production known as Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand. It just so happens that a lot of gas, most of which is methane, also comes out during this process. Read More »

Posted in Air Quality, Climate, Methane, Methane regulatons / Tagged Canada | Authors: admin / Comments are closed

Landmark study reveals that millions of Americans live less than a mile from an orphaned oil and gas well

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 11, 2023

By Adam Peltz & Kate Roberts

This week, the Department of the Interior announced nearly $660 million in grant funding to plug orphan wells across the U.S., adding to $560 million in initial funding from last summer. The news comes on the heels of new research led by researchers at McGill University and EDF experts that quantifies the extent of the orphan well problem this funding will begin to tackle.

The study found that at least 4.6 million people are living within about a half mile of an orphaned oil and gas well. Published in June 2023 in Environmental Research Letters, the study examined the environmental risks of orphaned wells and how plugging or repurposing wells could play a role in the transition to net zero. An additional key finding is that many essential technical details about this well set, like depth and condition, and environmental impacts, including methane emission rates and whether they have caused groundwater contamination, are largely unknown.

Posted in Air Quality, Methane regulatons / Authors: admin / Comments are closed

Texas creates task force to evaluate charging needs for ZEV trucks

By Phillip Martin / Published: June 30, 2023

Texas will create an interagency task force to evaluate infrastructure charging and capacity needs for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, a tremendous step forward in the state’s ongoing efforts to support the zero-emission vehicle industry.

The taskforce is the result of a rider adopted in the state budget, which was signed into law earlier this month. The rider requires the Texas Department of Transportation to coordinate with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to “evaluate how to deploy zero-emission medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicle charging infrastructure to best support growth in that market” in a way that will “maximize competitiveness, innovation, and efficiency, while also maintaining the integrity and cost-effectiveness of the Texas grid.”

Posted in Electric Vehicles, Texas / Comments are closed

Why Schneider’s deployment of 50 electric big rigs gives me hope for the future of trucking

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 29, 2023

Photo courtesy of North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).

By Lindsay Shigetomi

It’s one thing to see electric trucks on the showroom floor, but it’s an entirely different feeling to see them out in the wild.

Earlier this month, I attended a ribbon-cutting event in South El Monte, California — one of the largest freight hubs in America — to celebrate the roll-out of 50 electric trucks by Schneider. While it is currently one of the largest deployments of class 8 EVs at a single depot, Schneider plans to add 42 more electric trucks to this location by end-of-year, which would have the climate impact of removing 2,400 gas-powered cars from the road.

Posted in California, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed