3 Questions: Francis O’Sullivan on the climate impact of ‘leaky methane’
Natural gas has been touted as a “bridge fuel” to a less carbon-intensive future, as it generates far less carbon dioxide than energy produced by burning coal. But the natural gas production, processing, and distribution system leaks methane, another powerful greenhouse gas. A study published today in the journal Science reports that federal estimates of methane emissions have consistently underestimated the methane leaking from the natural gas system over the last 20 years. The study’s new estimates raise questions about natural gas’s actual climate benefit. MIT News spoke with co-author Francis O’Sullivan, director of research and analytics at the MIT Energy Initiative, about what the new estimates mean for the future of natural gas. Q: What is “leaky methane,” and what impact does it have on climate? A: Leaky methane, or “fugitive” methane, is methane that is produced from natural gas or oil wells, but does not make it to...