ACTION PLAYBOOK:
Regulate Methane Emissions
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Urge your state’s utility regulators to impose stricter standards on methane leaks from gas utilities.
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Find your state’s utility regulators
Make a few calls
Ask a friend to do this too!
How long does it take? In 10 minutes, you can leave voicemails or messages with staff members for all of your public utilities commissioners.
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Natural gas is the largest source of electricity in the U.S. and heats over 60% of our homes, but the entire gas supply chain emits methane, a major source of planet-warming pollution. Your state’s utility regulatory commission can help address the problem, but they need to feel public pressure.
1. Find your utility regulators
Almost all energy utility companies either purchase or generate energy from fossil gas. Some operate their own gas-fired power plants, while others purchase gas-fired electricity to resell in retail markets. Utility companies are also responsible for delivering gas directly to homes and commercial buildings for heating and cooking.
Every state has a commission that regulates utilities. These regulatory bodies come with a variety of names, but most are a version of Public Utilities Commission or Public Service Commission. Public utilities commissions (PUCs) play a role in regulating the natural gas distribution chain regardless of whether utilities are generating their own electricity.
To find your state’s utility regulators, open the map below, click on your state, and keep the tab open displaying your commissioners’ phone numbers. You should see 3–5 commissioners, though a few states have as many as 7.
2. Call each commissioner
Next, give each office number a call. Personalize the script below for an authentic message (or write your own from scratch!). This script works no matter what type of utility regulation structure you have, but feel free to make it more specific using outside research on your state’s regulatory environment.
You’ll want to start by identifying your status as a resident of the state, then make sure to be concise and specific. Be polite, but don’t be afraid to get personal. There’s no shame in practicing before you call! The current script should take about 2 minutes to communicate.
If they don’t pick up, don’t worry—your voicemail will be documented. And if you prefer to leave a voicemail rather than talk to a real person, call after hours.
📞 Call Script: Methane Regulation
Hello, my name is _______, and I'm a resident of _________. I'm calling today to express my concerns about methane pollution from our utilities and to discuss how our Public Utilities Commission [swap in the correct name] can play a key role in cleaning up our grid.
As you’re probably aware, methane has 80X the global warming effect of carbon dioxide in the short term. It concerns me that methane leaks from the natural gas supply chain can actually negate the environmental benefits of using natural gas over coal. And methane poses a safety hazard due to its explosive potential.
As a [parent? resident? scientist? someone who cares about climate change?], I think it’s imperative that our utilities are held to the highest possible standards. [ADD A SENTENCE EXPLAINING WHY CLIMATE ISSUES MATTER TO YOU.]
I urge you to take stronger action in regulating methane emissions from utilities, like imposing stricter leak detection standards, efficiency requirements for aging gas infrastructure, or rate-setting and rules that help incentivize cleaner sources of electricity. You can also impose regulations that encourage the switch from gas heating and cooking to electrification.
Can the Commission share what steps are currently being taken to address methane pollution? Please feel free to call me back at __________ or email me at ____________. Thanks so much for your time.
If you receive a response or have an interesting live conversation, drop us a line at advocacy@climatechangemakers.org and let us know what they said. We’re happy to help with next steps if you’re interested in continuing the conversation.
3. 5x, 10x, possibly 100x your impact
Network effects are powerful. Connecting others with opportunities to take productive climate action is a crucial step toward changing cultural norms and making real progress. We're not the only ones asking, “What more can I do?”. Answering that question for others is an important climate action.
So, now that you’ve contacted your public utilities commissioners, spread the word about this Climate Town video and the Action Playbook! That could be…
a post on Reddit or the social media network of your choice
sharing links in a Slack community
a group text
an email listserv
get creative!
You can frame it however you think might be the most effective, but here's a start:
Check out this funny and fact-filled Climate Town video on methane—I promise it'll hold your attention! There’s a 15-minute action to go with it in this Climate Changemakers Action Playbook. I just did it and it was pretty satisfying to channel my climate frustration into meaningful action directed straight at key decision-makers. Let me know what you think! And if you get a kick out of the video and the playbook, definitely pass it on to someone else who’d be interested. I’m starting to realize just how many people in our network want to do more about climate change but don’t know where to start!
And that’s it, playbook complete! Feel accomplished.
Thank you for taking action.
🎉 CUE CONFETTI by clicking COMPLETE! 🎉
Want more action?
Go to the current Action Plan
© 2023 Climate Changemakers
Congrats, you just took productive climate action.
Or maybe you haven’t yet, and you just skipped down to this section. In any case, here’s some additional info to learn more about the problem we’ve got on our hands.
Learn by watching (40 minutes)
Our friends at Climate Town create incredible (and very funny) videos about climate change and we provide specific actions to go with them! The Climate Changemakers Action Playbook you’re reading right now was made specifically for this Climate Town episode. Watch it to learn all about methane emissions from the gas industry, then come back here to take action.
Learning by reading (3 minutes)
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas primarily emitted through natural gas production and distribution, plays a significant role in accelerating climate change. Think of methane and carbon dioxide like a pair of evil twins: each complements the other’s global warming potential. Carbon dioxide is in it for the long haul; excess CO2 can trap heat in the atmosphere for hundreds of years without artificial removal. Methane dissipates from the atmosphere in less than 20 years, but don’t be fooled. In that timeframe, it traps heat at 80X the potency of CO2. Methane’s potency makes it an urgent problem, but imminently reducing methane emissions would help slow the pace of global warming in the short term and buy us time to solve particularly vexing dilemmas with respect to decarbonization.
The rise of hydraulic fracking has significantly increased the availability and use of domestic natural gas, making it the leading source of electricity in the United States. But the boom in natural gas production has also led to increased methane emissions due to leaks at various stages of the supply chain, including wellheads, processing plants, compressor stations, and extensive pipeline networks. As recently as the Obama administration, climate-conscious policymakers hailed natural gas as a “clean bridge fuel” thanks to its reduced CO2 emissions compared to coal or fuel oil. But atmospheric methane is an enormous downside to burning natural gas—as it turns out, there’s really no such thing as “clean” fossil fuel combustion. In the short term, the climate impact of natural gas can equal, or even surpass, that of coal.
Enter utilities, who play a central role in the natural gas supply chain. They’re responsible for the final delivery of gas to consumers for heating and electricity. In many states, utilities also operate their own natural gas power plants to generate electricity for the grid. Public Utilities Commissions (PUCs) or equivalent regulatory bodies at the state level oversee these utilities, ensuring they provide reliable services at reasonable rates while also adhering to environmental regulations. PUCs have the authority to enforce practices that can reduce methane emissions, such as mandating regular inspections and repairs and upgrading aging infrastructure that is prone to leaks. Furthermore, PUCs can influence utilities' investment in renewable energy sources by approving rates and policies that favor clean energy over fossil fuels.
