Methane-3D-ballsIt has been recently suggested that natural gas is a more climate friendly alternative to many fossil fuels, and a necessary “bridge” to a low carbon future. The main component of natural gas is methane, which is a powerful GHG that has significantly more heat trapping potential than CO2. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, yet when it is extracted from the ground, unburned methane can escape into the atmosphere. Significant discussion has developed around the extent of these fugitive emissions and whether they undermine the climate benefits of using natural gas as a primary fuel.

A 2011 study released by the National Center for Atmospheric Research indicated, “…unless leakage rates for new methane can be kept below 2%, substituting gas for coal is not an effective means for reducing the magnitude of future climate change.” A recent study, co-written by the University of Texas, Austin and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) suggests methane leakage amounts to 0.42% of the total volume of natural gas produced, 10-20 times less than some previous studies. The UT Austin/EDF report has been controversial, as some have questioned its methods.

How well are methane’s climate impacts understood? Could methane leakage undermine potential climate benefits of natural gas?