Department of Energy Study On Environmental and Economic Impacts of U.S. Natural Gas Exports Shows Urgent Need to Cut Methane Pollution

(WASHINGTON) The Department of Energy today published a study on the environmental and economic impacts of U.S. natural gas exports. 

“Under no circumstances is it ever acceptable to generate profits for oil and gas companies at the expense of energy access, affordability or the environment here at home. With U.S. gas exports already at historic high levels and with even more projects approved and on the way, today’s study sounds the alarm. Among other criteria, for exports to be in the public interest, industry and regulators must act to achieve ‘near zero’ methane pollution across the U.S. supply chain, fully to respond to community concerns regarding health and safety, and ensure exports are not displacing cleaner energy sources in global markets.”

• Mark Brownstein, Senior Vice President, Energy Transition

For the last 80 years Congress has required presidential administrations to assess natural gas export applications to determine whether or not they benefit the American people, a common-sense and effective approach. Regardless of who is in the White House, the Department of Energy conducting this sort of economic & environmental analysis is in everyone’s interest.

Industry has made bold promises about reducing methane pollution, but it must demonstrate follow-through in order to withstand the scrutiny of the global energy market. New tools like MethaneSAT will improve worldwide accountability for methane pollution, and additional industry investments in emissions reductions will help ensure that U.S. energy remains internationally competitive, while also cutting down on the waste of resources.

Reducing methane pollution and establishing transparent monitoring systems to verify the reductions are essential to the long-term stability of our nation’s energy industry. Promises are great, but bold commitments must now translate into measurable results backed by empirical measurement data.