First Name | Thomas J. |
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Last Name | Vessels |
Email Address | tvessels@vesselscoalgas.com |
Affiliation | Vessels |
Subject | Support of Mine Methane Capture Protocol |
Comment | Vessels strongly supports the proposed California Air Resources Board (ARB) compliance offset protocol for mine methane capture (MMC) projects. This will be the first protocol written entirely by ARB through the public protocol development process. Offset credits represent a crucial cost containment mechanism to help the California cap-and-trade program achieve GHG emission reductions in an economically efficient manner. There are currently no incentives to avoid methane emissions and regulations to reduce emissions are not likely in the near term. Regulations will never be as effective as an economic incentive and not implemented as quickly. Experts are now reporting that methane emissions are the most important greenhouse gas emissions to reduce. Methane is now considered to have a Global Warming Potential twenty five times that of carbon dioxide (CO2). Methane also is an energy source that if used conserves energy from other sources while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The World Bank estimates that 7,500,000,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year of methane is emitted annually around the world from human related activity. That methane if used for electricity generation for example could produce 250,000,000 Mega Watt Hours per year. Mines in the US typically are pressured to sign electricity agreements prohibiting them from generating any electricity from the naturally occurring methane in their mines. Projects based on this protocol could incentivize mines to use a valuable resource and not purchase electricity at additional expense. In locations where such energy conversion is not economical or practical the MMC protocol will encourage feasibility studies to reduce the emissions by combustion. Vessels encourages the Board to approve the Mine Methane Capture Protocol and make effective date of the protocol as soon as possible |
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted | 2014-04-04 11:01:30 |
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