House Passes Rep. Sherrill’s Mitigate Methane Now Act

Washington, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed Rep. Mikie Sherrill's (NJ-11) Mitigate Methane Now Act. The legislation would curb climate change immediately by encouraging the replacement of old distribution lines, which are a major source of methane leakage across the country, particularly in the Northeast where the oldest infrastructure is located.

"Climate change is the one of the fundamental crises of our time, and the health, economic well-being, and national security of the American people demand we take action," said Rep. Sherrill. "Too often the most vulnerable among us are asked to shoulder the burden of both the health and financial costs of our inaction on climate change. But this legislation willhelp prevent methane leaking into the air, protect lower-and fixed income consumers from rate increases associated with these important repairs, and spur further investment in infrastructure modernization."

The Mitigate Methane Now Act will create a grant program for states that can be used to offset the impact of rate increases to low-income households. It also provides incentives for natural gas distribution companies to accelerate, expand, and enhance improvement to the distribution system.

In June, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis recommended a set of policy proposals that could reduce the pollution and emissions causing climate change. The report specifically called for timely passage of Rep. Sherrill's Mitigate Methane Now Act.

New Jersey is home to some of the oldest natural gas infrastructure in the country. The aging pipes that bring natural gas to New Jersey homes leak harmful gases like methane into the atmosphere. Methane is 100 times more potent than carbon dioxide – and though a relatively short-living gas, its impact is severe. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reported that methane is more than 80 times as effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, making it a prime culprit for warming temperatures.

States throughout the Northeast have been working with their public utility commissions to develop a strategy to replace these old and leaky pipes. Typically, consumers pay, through rate increases, the costs of essential pipeline repair and replacement. This bill will help ensure that lower- and fixed-income consumers are protected from increases in their monthly bill when these important repairs and modernization efforts occur.

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