Jared Hembree IPANM Board President 2023-24 | Independent Petrolium Association of New Mexico
Methane emissions in the United States have been decreasing according to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Inventory from 2021. The report highlights a decline in overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions even as the production and consumption of oil and natural gas increase.
The EPA attributes the decrease in emissions largely to changes in energy use, noting, “This decrease was driven largely by a decrease in emissions from fossil fuel combustion resulting from a decrease in total energy use in 2019 compared to 2018 and a continued shift from coal to natural gas and renewables in the electric power sector.”
Overall emissions, measured in million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, have fallen 11.6 percent since 2005. Methane emissions specifically are down 16.6 percent since 1990. The EPA report details a 17 percent reduction in methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. This is due to investments in reducing leaks and improving pipeline infrastructure. Notably, methane emissions decreased by 69 percent in natural gas distribution systems and by 35 percent in natural gas transmission and storage.
These reductions have occurred as the industry has expanded, adding over 370,000 miles of new gas pipelines since 1990 to meet a 62 percent increase in demand. The alignment of technological advancements with environmental goals underlines the ongoing changes within the energy sector.
