This past week, Energy Workforce & Technology Council filed official comments on two pending regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) methane regulation, “Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review” Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317, and a rule requiring greenhouse gas reporting for government contractors, “Federal Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk.”
On the EPA methane rule, Energy Workforce shares the goal of reducing methane emissions and in fact, our Member Companies are making the production of oil and gas cleaner, safer and more cost-effective than ever before with technologies that cut energy usage, reduce emissions, detect leaks and streamline operations. These technologies include comprehensive methane monitoring, comprised of leak detection that includes the location and rate quantification in real time so that operators can take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and save costs. Energy Workforce believes the most effective actions to take should incentivize the creation of these new technologies, streamline and make uniform the requirements under the rule, while not creating overly burdensome federal regulatory actions.
The “Federal Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk” is a proposed rule that, if adopted, would require certain companies that do business with the federal government to disclose data on greenhouse gas emissions. As with the expected SEC climate risk disclosure rules, Energy Workforce opposes government led mandates for ESG and GHG emissions reporting and believes that these disclosures should be a private sector led activity. Our sector is in the forefront of innovating, developing and deploying emissions lowering technology, without mandates. To add a government level requirement will only slow that innovation.
If you have questions on either filing, contact Energy Workforce President Tim Tarpley.
Corry Schiermeyer, Senior Director Communications, writes about governmental policies for the Energy Workforce & Technology Council. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
