Natural gas can offer climate and public health benefits, but its production too often leaks methane, a heat trapping gas that is at least 34 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Estimates show that natural gas production sites leak from1 percentto10％or moreof their methane. Consider the fact that the United States has over925,000natural gas-producing wells, and that’s a lot of methane being released into the atmosphere!

联邦政府是采取措施to reduce these emissions, soon-to-be-proposed rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) don’t go far enough. They’ll cover only new and modified natural gas infrastructure, leaving old, leaky equipment free to emit unchecked amounts of methane.

那就是各州可以发挥作用的地方。一种新的WRI纸概述了各州在减少该国甲烷排放的许多机会。实际上，这样做符合他们的最大利益。

州领导可以影响联邦政策以及其他州

States aren’t just the laboratories of democracy, as Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis曾经有人说。它们也是常见政策解决方案的实验室，以减少甲烷排放。

In 2012, EPA finalizedrulesthat addressed pollutants that are emitted alongside methane, and that wouldindirectly reduce石油和天然气生产中的甲烷排放。这些规则是similar in many ways自2004年以来怀俄明州和科罗拉多州就已经达到的要求。该州一级的概念证明为EPA提供了成功的规则。

Colorado in particular is a leader in this space, and is far ahead of the federal government in addressing methane and other air emissions from natural gas development. In February 2014, withsupport from some of the largest natural gas companies in the state, Colorado finalized new rules that will dramatically reduce air pollution from natural gas development, and became the first state in the country to target methane directly. The methane reductions are substantial – from a greenhouse gas perspective, it’s the equivalent of将科罗拉多州的所有汽车赶出了整整一年。Colorado learned from the experiences of Wyoming and Pennsylvania, which both require regular leak surveys of natural gas infrastructure. And just two months after Colorado finalized its rules, Ohio followed suit with similarleak detection and repair自己的要求。

States are now building on the experiences of others, showcasing best practices to other states and the federal government. Companies active within states with ambitious methane reduction measures will be better prepared to meet national standards, and will likely benefit from lower compliance costs and increased returns on investment in emissions-reduction training and equipment.

States Can Help Save Industry Money

天然气为75-98％甲烷，因此甲烷泄漏的产物损失。自愿减少甲烷泄漏的措施已经增加了天然气销售收入超过2.64亿美元，根据EPA。Studies show that the natural gas industry could save more than $1 billion per year by capturing additional wasted gas.

通过限制拟议的排放标准的范围和野心，EPA正在离开valuable opportunities和cost savings on the table. States can help industry save money while reducing waste, improving air quality, and lowering emissions by crafting their own methane rules.

In addition, many if not most of the可用的技术解决方案for addressing methane leakage are cost-effective, and energy companies recoup their investments in three years or fewer. By getting ahead of potential future federal rules addressing methane emissions, states can help companies accelerate the learning curve and reduce future compliance costs.

Reducing Methane is Crucial for Meeting U.S. Emissions Targets

作为WRI的分析拥有shown，如果美国要满足其，减少甲烷排放至关重要2020和2025还原目标。到2025年将总体排放量减少了26-28％，并且长期进一步将需要在各级政府中采取行动，从联邦到州到地方。捕获甲烷不仅对企业和环境有益；这是美国达成陈述的减少承诺的关键。

By employing best practices and investing in new technologies, states can more efficiently protect public health and substantially reduce heat-trapping emissions. There’s no time like the present, and states that are ready to get started can begin这里。