Repair Failures Call for New Policies to Tackle Leaky Natural Gas Distribution Systems
Morgan R. Edwards, Amanda Giang, Gregg P. Macey, Zeyneb Magavi, Dominic Nicholas, Robert Ackley, Audrey Schulman
Abstract
, where a gas utility identifies and fixes a leak, but on-site emissions are not eliminated. We find that repair failures are relatively common, yet they are repeatedly neglected in policy. By not accounting for repair failures, policy may overestimate the effectiveness of distribution system repairs in meeting local greenhouse gas reduction targets. These results also underscore the importance of data transparency for monitoring and verifying subnational climate policies.
Topics & Concepts
Greenhouse gasTransparency (behavior)StakeholderEnvironmental scienceLeakage (economics)Natural gasClimate changeEnvironmental economicsWork (physics)Distribution (mathematics)Environmental resource managementRisk analysis (engineering)Computer scienceBusinessEnvironmental planningComputer securityEngineeringEconomicsWaste managementMechanical engineeringBiologyManagementMacroeconomicsEcologyMathematical analysisMathematicsAtmospheric and Environmental Gas DynamicsEnergy, Environment, and Transportation PoliciesCarbon Dioxide Capture Technologies