Energy Exchange

5 best practices for Canadian methane regulations

By Shareen Yawanarajah Ph.D. / Published: October 21, 2019

The Canadian government recently reaffirmed its commitment to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45% below 2012 levels by 2025 as part of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In April 2018, the federal government published comprehensive regulations intended to achieve this commitment.

Methane causes 25% of the warming that we are experiencing today, and the largest source of industrial emissions is from the oil and gas industry. Reducing emissions by 40-45% by 2025 will be equivalent to shutting down 1,300 coal plants — or roughly one-third of the coal plants around the world.

Posted in Methane, Methane regulatons / Tagged Canada | Comments are closed

New time-of-use program empowers Illinois consumers to lower bills, reduce carbon footprint

By Christie Hicks / Published: October 16, 2019

In early October, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved a new electricity rate that holds tremendous opportunity — a time-of-use rate option for customers of Commonwealth Edison Company, the largest utility in the state. This new pricing structure has the potential to lower bills for consumers, while reducing our reliance on dirty sources of power.

After five years of fighting for a TOU rate in Illinois, EDF and the Citizens Utility Board helped design the voluntary new option for customers, which includes three pricing periods for residential customers: Super Peak (2pm-7pm), Off Peak (10pm-6am) and Peak (all other times), with prices being highest during the Super Peak, and lowest during Off Peak. The pilot will serve residential customers and target electric vehicle owners, whose usage is typically higher but more flexible. The time-of-use option is similar to real-time pricing currently available (also on a voluntary basis) in Illinois, but with distinct, pre-determined pricing periods rather than fluctuating hour by hour as real-time prices do.

Posted in Clean Energy, Illinois, Time of Use / Comments are closed

Permian methane measurements will aid New Mexico regulators

By Jon Goldstein / Published: October 16, 2019

The Permian Basin has grown to become the most productive oil field in the country and one of the largest in the world, but too little is known about what this drilling boom means for methane waste and pollution. A new science effort led by Environmental Defense Fund with researchers from Penn State, the University of Wyoming and Scientific Aviation will help fill this knowledge gap and better inform state regulators in New Mexico who are moving forward on state methane rules.

This first-of-its-kind study will combine three different types of data collection, utilizing methane measurements from airplanes, a network of towers, and vehicles that take measurements downwind from well sites. All data collected will be shared publically to better inform local communities in southeast New Mexico and West Texas, as well as state regulators and the producers themselves, about the scope and scale of the methane problem in the Permian.

Posted in Methane, Methane regulatons / Tagged New Mexico | Comments are closed

To ensure North Carolina’s Clean Energy Plan succeeds, we must act now

By Dionne Delli-Gatti / Published: October 10, 2019

North Carolina is already reeling from the impacts of climate change in the form of severe weather, sea-level rise and extreme heat. Our people and our communities are bearing the cost of inaction. Solutions are needed now, and thankfully more state leaders, like North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, are stepping up and pledging to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In October 2018, Gov. Cooper issued Executive Order 80, which set a goal of reducing North Carolina’s greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2025 and called on state agencies to develop plans for achieving that goal. Last month, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, along with other state agencies, did just that by issuing a series of plans for how North Carolina will tackle climate change here at home.

Posted in Clean Energy, Climate, North Carolina / Comments are closed

Federal methane rollbacks spark new opposition from 12 major utilities

By Dominic Watson / Published: October 9, 2019

Backlash continues to grow against the Trump administration’s efforts to deregulate methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. The coalition opposing the Environmental Protection Agency’s rollbacks now includes major oil and gas companies¹, a midstream gas transmission operator, investors representing over $5.5 trillion in assets under management and 12 of the nation’s largest utilities.²

These utilities, who use natural gas produced by oil and gas companies for electricity generation and delivery to commercial and residential consumers, have expressed strong opposition to the proposed regulations, recognizing national standards as the “foundation” of industry efforts to reduce methane emissions.

The public comment period, which began on Sept. 24, offers downstream energy providers a key opportunity to publicly add their voice to the broad set of stakeholders supporting federal regulation of methane in the oil and gas sector.

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

Illinois must take immediate action on the Clean Energy Jobs Act

By Christie Hicks / Published: October 1, 2019

The Clean Energy Jobs Act is one of Illinois’ biggest opportunities to become a national clean energy leader, but with the fall veto session just four weeks away, its future could be in jeopardy if legislators don’t understand what’s at stake.

The economic, environmental and health benefits of CEJA are innumerable: workforce hubs for clean energy job training; tremendous investments in renewable energy (including in low-income and environmental justice communities); expanded energy efficiency programs; and transportation electrification — to name a few.

Posted in CEJA, Clean Energy, Illinois / Comments are closed