US needs to support innovative methane tech, LongPath founder says

The co-founder of methane detection developer LongPath Technologies has urged the US to adopt regulations that encourage the use of new and innovative technologies to tackle methane emissions in the oil and gas industry.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to introduce new rules this year to drive reductions in methane emissions in the oil and gas sector. In a testimony before the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, LongPath co-founder Caroline Alden said the new rules need to allow for technology-neutral choices by operators, encouraging the use of new and innovative ones.

"Policy makers should ... ensure new policies do not limit the application of newer more innovative measurement systems," said Alden. "The federal government should invest in processes to ensure that new technologies are rapidly certified as compliant for use by operators."

LongPath has developed a continuous monitoring system for methane emissions that employs lasers.