Each year U.S. oil and gas operations leak, and sometimes intentionally release, millions of tons of climate-changing methane gas. Methane accounts for 12% of all greenhouse gas pollution, trapping much more heat in the atmosphere pound-for-pound than carbon dioxide. As the nation’s second-largest gas producer, Pennsylvania’s methane emissions comprise a significant contribution to global climate change.
Fortunately, between state-level controls enacted in recent years and new EPA standards now being implemented, the picture is beginning to improve. Methane mitigation companies, which develop technologies and provide services that help operators find and fix leaks, are playing an important role — not only in reducing emissions, but also in creating stable, high-paying jobs.
Research commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) finds Pennsylvania among the top five states for methane mitigation, as measured by industry presence here. The last three years saw a 22 percent increase in the number of companies operating in the Commonwealth, and since 2014 the number of employee locations rose by 65 percent.
“Right here in the county, we are home to companies that are developing cutting-edge solutions to detect, repair, and reduce methane emissions,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said at an October 24 press conference in Pittsburgh, where the findings were announced. “This translates to family-sustaining jobs for local workers.”
Marcy Lowe is Principal at Data Research, which conducted the analysis. She credits Pennsylvania’s state-level rules with creating a favorable environment for investment, and says the new federal requirements will further bolster the industry.
“Pennsylvania has already established its strategy for implementing those rules,” Lowe said. “So we expect continued growth.”
“As we introduce more and more of these protections and regulations in states, these companies tend to grow,” EDF Regulatory and Legislative Manager John Rutecki said. “And a lot of them have already said that they plan to grow with more of these protections in place.”