U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the Methane Monitoring Science Act, bipartisan legislation to help ensure that advances in American science and technology are effectively leveraged to improve understanding of methane emissions, support domestic energy producers, and strengthen U.S. energy security.
“Methane monitoring is critical for our energy producers, energy security, and the environment,” said Senator Curtis. “We have more tools than ever to detect these leaks however we lack a clear federal strategy or framework for optimizing their use across industries. This bill makes sure we understand how those tools can work together, without creating new regulations or enforcement authority.”
“We can’t effectively address climate change without the data about where methane emissions are coming from and how they are changing,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “This bill will strengthen our current and future methane monitoring and detection capabilities, giving us better information to make informed decisions about protecting our planet.”
Background:
American energy producers increasingly have access to innovative technologies that can detect methane leaks, protect valuable energy resources, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. energy producers. However, methane data is often fragmented across different monitoring systems, making it harder to quickly identify leaks and put available information to practical use.
The Methane Monitoring Science Act would direct NASA to develop a coordinated strategy for assessing existing and future methane monitoring, detection, and quantification capabilities. The bill is focused on improving federal science, research, and the usefulness of methane data while expressly protecting against regulatory expansion.
Better, more usable information can help American energy producers identify and address leaks more quickly, reduce the loss of valuable energy resources, strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. energy production, and bolster American energy dominance.
Specifically, the bill would:
- Develop a coordinated federal science strategy to assess current and future methane monitoring, detection, and quantification technologies;
- Support research and development by allowing NASA to use the strategy to inform future R&D planning; and
- Make methane information more useful to non-federal stakeholders, including state and local governments, academia, nonprofits, and American oil and natural gas producers.
“America leads the world in developing new technologies,” said ClearPath Action CEO Jeremy Harrell. “Senators Curtis and Hickenlooper’s bill puts NASA’s expertise to work so innovators have the tools they need to sell American products globally.”
“American Petroleum Institute (API) applauds Senators Curtis and Hickenlooper on moving forward with important legislation to encourage the development of alternative methane leak detection technologies,” said Jack Cramton, Vice President of Federal Relations, API. “API has long advocated for regulatory flexibility that allows the use of emerging technologies to detect and mitigate methane emissions while maintaining compliance requirements. As NASA’s strategy evolves, this supports the industry’s broader goal of advancing technology to drive continuous improvements in methane reduction.”
The full bill text is available here.
