Bernard L. Weinstein, Tower Center Associate, published an op-ed for The Hill over taxing methane and whether or not it could reduce emissions. Although climate change is a severe issue, consumers and businesses demand more energy in this recovering economy. Democrats in Congress have proposed a tax on methane emissions, but this will do little to reduce gas emissions from the oil and gas industry for a few reasons. First, methane is a potent greenhouse gas that can be released from oil and natural gas infrastructure in varying quantities. Second, it is in the best interest of all companies to eliminate any from escaping during transportation because they would be losing money not selling it. Third, there are other market incentives to reduce methane and certify that a producer uses best practices to limit emissions. Read more here.
