Natural gas is our biggest local challenge related to climate change

By ROBERT GIBSON
Chair
Los Alamos County Public Utilities Authority

What source of greenhouse gas emissions is our largest and will be the most difficult for Los Alamos to reduce or eliminate? No, it's not the exhaust pipes of cars or the billowing chimneys at the power plants that still provide much of our electricity. It is natural gas, here simply called “gas”.

Gas is a hydrocarbon, like coal, oil, gasoline and wood. Burning hydrocarbons produces carbon dioxide (CO2), the most important greenhouse gas. (They also produce harmless water vapor.) Additionally, gas is mostly composed of methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas. Unburned gas enters the atmosphere at every step of its above-ground life – exploration, production, transmission, distribution and combustion.

Transmission, distribution and incomplete combustion losses are low. Well, leaks are serious. Most of LA's gas comes from the Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico and western Texas, the second largest well in the country. The global warming effect of the methane emitted from these wells is comparable to or greater than that of the CO2 produced by their combustion.

Although these gas leaks are far from our county, we are the end users and are responsible for them, as well as emissions from power plant stacks. (The current draft Climate Action Plan ignores these remote fugitive emissions, keeping estimates of gas-based greenhouse gas emissions artificially low.)

Their magnitude does not make reducing gas consumption our greatest climate challenge.

Car manufacturers are switching to electric vehicles. Carbon-free electricity sources exist and are increasing. For both emitters, most of us can largely leave the problem of greenhouse gas reductions to “someone else.”

Natural gas is different. It heats almost every building in LA. Many of us also use it for cooking, water heating, laundry drying, pilot lights, and decorative fireplaces. Except for the latter, there are electrical alternatives for each of these functions. “Electrification” is the common term for the transition to this.

Electrification will ultimately require major action from all property owners in the county. Details will be different for each building. “Someone else” cannot solve this problem.

For many buildings, electrification may not be the biggest challenge. Some lose much more thermal energy than necessary due to inadequate insulation, old windows and doors, damaged seals, etc. Of course, excessive leakage drives up utility bills, regardless of the heat source.

Gas service isn't going away any time soon. The district government's goal is to phase it out by 2070. This is longer than the lifespan of most gas appliances. Otherwise, many houses and most other buildings would also be rebuilt during this time. Others are replaced. When planning home improvements or appliance replacements, reducing heating energy needs (and bills) and replacing gas appliances with electric appliances should be taken into account.

For its part, the Ministry of Public Utilities is striving for more carbon-free electricity while planning to upgrade and modernize our electricity distribution system to meet the increased demands of both electrified buildings and electric vehicles. Additionally, the ministry is providing more and more information to help residents make the transition.

Reducing or eliminating emissions from natural gas cannot be left to “someone else.” The effort affects us all. That's why it's so challenging.

Note: This article reflects the individual views of its author, not necessarily those of the Board of Directors or the Department of Public Utilities.