Controlling Methane Emissions in the Natural Gas Sector. A Review of Federal and State Regulatory Frameworks Governing Production, Gathering, Processing, Transmission, and Distribution

Paranhos, Elizabeth¹  Kozak, Tracy G.¹  Boyd, William²  Bradbury, James³  Steinberg, D. C.⁴  Arent, D. J.⁵ 

[1] Energy Innovation Partners, Seoul (South Korea);Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States);U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States);National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States);Joint Inst. for Strategic Energy Alaysis, Washington, DC (United States)

关键词: pipeline safety;    methane leaks;    air emissions;    natural gas;    natural gas regulation;    natural gas sector;    federal regulations;    climate change;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1215077
RP-ID  :  NREL/TP--6A50-63416
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1215077

学科分类：环境科学（综合）

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

This report provides an overview of the regulatory frameworks governing natural gas supply chain infrastructure siting, construction, operation, and maintenance. Information was drawn from a number of sources, including published analyses, government reports, in addition to relevant statutes, court decisions and regulatory language, as needed. The scope includes all onshore facilities that contribute to methane emissions from the natural gas sector, focusing on three areas of state and federal regulations: (1) natural gas pipeline infrastructure siting and transportation service (including gathering, transmission, and distribution pipelines), (2) natural gas pipeline safety, and (3) air emissions associated with the natural gas supply chain. In addition, the report identifies the incentives under current regulatory frameworks to invest in measures to reduce leakage, as well as the barriers facing investment in infrastructure improvement to reduce leakage. Policy recommendations regarding how federal or state authorities could regulate methane emissions are not provided; rather, existing frameworks are identified and some of the options for modifying existing regulations or adopting new regulations to reduce methane leakage are discussed.