API-PA Executive Director Stephanie Catarino Wissman issued the following statement regarding Gov. Wolf’s announced new methane rules proposals, cautioning against duplicative regulations on oil and gas operations:

“America is already leading the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Even as oil and natural gas production has risen dramatically, methane emissions have fallen, thanks to industry leadership and investment in new technologies. Methane is the primary component of natural gas, and emissions will continue to fall as operators innovate to capture and deliver more methane to heat homes and generate clean-burning electricity.

“Safe and responsible development of energy from shale has helped the U.S. cut carbon dioxide emissions to near 20-year lows. Additional regulations on methane could discourage hydraulic fracturing and the shale energy revolution that has helped America lead the world in reducing emissions. Onerous and unnecessary new regulations could have a chilling effect on the American energy renaissance, our economy, and our incredible progress reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

EPA’s greenhouse gas inventory reported that methane emissions from hydraulically fractured natural gas wells are down 79 percent since 2005. Total methane emissions from natural gas systems are down 11 percent since 2005.

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1/25/2016