Help New Jersey Cut Natural Gas Waste

The main component of natural gas — methane — is a potent climate pollutant, over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after its release into the atmosphere. From wellheads in the field to the local utility pipes under your street, the oil and gas supply chain in the U.S. emits at least 9.8 million metric tons of methane every year.

Governor Murphy has directed the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to draft the 2019 Energy Master Plan with a goal of 100% clean energy by 2050. A draft plan has been released, and the committee is accepting comments until noon on Monday, September 16th.

We need you to weigh in to ensure New Jersey employs the latest technologies to deal with the oil & gas industry’s climate pollution problem.

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New Jersey Energy Master Plan Committee

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2019 Draft Energy Master Plan

Dear Energy Master Plan Committee,

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As a New Jersey resident, I'm writing to commend your progress in developing a strategic vision for the state's role in the use, management, and development of energy through the Energy Master Plan (EMP).  I encourage you to adopt EMP recommendation 5.1.4, that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) should instruct all gas distribution companies to incorporate advanced leak detection technology (ALD+) into operations to find, quantify, and prioritize gas pipeline repair and replacement and file repair or replacement plans with the NJBPU.

New Jersey has over 4,400 miles of leak prone gas distribution mains, ranking fourth in the nation for miles of leak prone pipe.  Now is the time for New Jersey to address its problems with leak prone pipe.  Not only are these leaking pipes wasting ratepayer resources, but they are also an important environmental concern.  Methane, the main ingredient of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas.

Working with Google Earth Outreach and Colorado State University, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recently used ALD+ to map and measure over 240 leaks in Elizabethtown Gas's territory.  This is only a small fraction of the more than 2,000 outstanding leaks reported across various utilities in New Jersey in 2018. While most of these leaks are not hazardous and don't pose a safety threat, they cost ratepayers money for lost gas and have negative impacts on climate and the environment.  Utilities can begin to address their leak backlogs and leak-prone pipe inventories more efficiently by employing ALD+.

Utilities in our state should be required to use the latest technologies to find leaks and measure their size, so that they can better prioritize repair and replacement efforts. While utilities are already required to repair hazardous leaks immediately, they should tackle those that leak the most after considering safety.

New Jersey utilities PSE&G and Elizabethtown Gas are already using these technologies. Elizabethtown Gas is integrating ALD+ into their day-to-day operations and decision making to maximize methane emission reductions - consistent with New Jersey's Global Warming Response Act - for which they should be commended.   In addition to providing actionable data to utilities, ALD+ can be used to measure emissions, verify greenhouse gas mitigation progress, and provide meaningful metrics showing progress toward meeting the State's climate action goals.

Please consider implementing these measures as soon as possible to protect both our environment, economy, and public health.

Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]

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Help New Jersey Cut Natural Gas Waste

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