Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret.), CEO of the American Security Project, has written a new article for Fusion TV on the national security implications of the recent Senate vote to preserve regulations on methane waste. ASP has previously written on the importance of this rule for America’s energy security.

The article, Methane Rule a Win for National Security, Taxpayers, and the Environment, was published on May 25, 2017 and explores the effects of a rule requiring natural gas companies to capture and sell methane drilled on public lands rather than allowing it to be released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gas. Oil and natural gas companies pay royalties on natural gas drilled on public lands, meaning that the proceeds from hundreds of millions of dollars worth of natural gas that was previously burned or wasted without that rule, will now be returned to the taxpayer.

The piece also focuses on the rule’s impact on national security strategy. Natural gas is sold on the global market and Russia is a major global supplier. Cheney states that by selling rather than wasting methane drilled on public lands we are ensuring our energy security and cutting into Russia’s share of the global natural gas market. Our natural gas can be sold to allies and decrease Europe’s reliance on Russia for their energy needs. He says that the production of natural gas reduces dependence on traditional fossil fuels supplied by states who are unfriendly to our national interests. Increased usage of natural gas also contributes to the shift from coal-based power and increases global climate security. Cheney applies particular focus to climate change as a “threat multiplier” which creates the conditions of instability and conflict. Cheney notes that,

“No one is saying that reducing methane leaks from gas drilling will prevent the next major conflict or humanitarian crisis. But with a problem as big as climate change, and as multifaceted as national security, every step is worthwhile. The better we protect our environment, the better we can protect people.”

Cheney concludes with a discussion of the Senate methane vote as a reminder of how common sense can still win over the interests of oil and natural gas companies. He believes that the decision to keep methane waste protections will ensure the American taxpayer receives the greatest possible return while helping to maintain national security through increased energy and climate security protections.

The full article is available here

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