Accelerated Methane Reduction

Designing a Future Interdisciplinary and Shared Research Agenda to Understand the Role of Methane Reduction in the Energy Transition

Designing a Future Interdisciplinary and Shared Research Agenda to Understand the Role of Methane Reduction in the Energy Transition

In North America and across the globe, energy systems are under strain as supply struggles to keep pace with demand. Data center developers, manufacturers, utility companies and the economies of Asia and Europe – among many other stakeholders – are scrambling to find secure and affordable energy sources due to infrastructure bottlenecks and geopolitical threats.

In this new reality, a promising source of additional energy has emerged: Natural gas that is currently being wasted in the form of fugitive methane emissions.

The Payne Institute for Public Policy created the Accelerated Methane Reduction Initiative to connect the world-class expertise of the Colorado School of Mines with global conversations about natural gas, energy security, affordability and climate change.

IMPACT

In the U.S. oil and gas sector, capturing wasted natural gas could meet one-third of the anticipated needs from new data centers by 2030.

Globally, flaring reduction and other methane mitigation efforts could boost the supply of natural gas by around 200 billion cubic meters per year – or double the amount of LNG imported by China in 2025.

In addition to these wins for energy affordability and security of supply, capturing wasted natural gas in the form of fugitive methane emissions can make a powerful difference in the fight against climate change.

Eliminating methane emissions across global oil and gas supply chains would have the same climate impact as converting every car and truck in the world to run on zero-carbon sources of electricity.

Mines and the world

The Payne Institute extends to public policy Mines’ conviction that energy and the environment must– and can – fruitfully coexist. We are in an enviable position to tap into a deep well of on-campus and alumni leaders in industry and environmental groups around the world. We foster collaboration with a focus on problem-solving rather than furthering entrenched agendas.

COLORADO

Colorado has been at the forefront of establishing regulations for the oil and gas industry and working in a coherent inclusive manner between the industry and other stakeholders. That form of broad engagement based on science should continue. It will serve to both evolve the discussion in the state and at the local level, but also serve as a lodestar for the national and global discussion.

For more information about the Accelerated Methane Reduction Initiative at the Payne Institute for Public Policy, please contact our Deputy Director, Gregory Clough, at gclough@mines.edu.

NEWS

No relief in sight as diesel prices hit record highs 9/27/2026

No relief in sight as diesel prices hit record highs

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Fellow Jamie Webster write about how diesel fuel prices in the U.S. continue to break all-time records, hitting $6.28 a gallon as a national average on Sept. 14, 2026, and they aren’t likely to come down anytime soon.  September 27, 2026.

Iran war pushes diesel – the economy’s lifeblood – to record high prices, with no relief on the horizon 9/17/2026

Iran war pushes diesel – the economy’s lifeblood – to record high prices, with no relief on the horizon

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Fellow Jamie Webster write about how diesel fuel prices in the U.S. continue to break all-time records, hitting $6.28 a gallon as a national average on Sept. 14, 2026, and they aren’t likely to come down anytime soon. September 17, 2026.

EMERGENCY FLARING DETECTED ALONG SAUDI ARABIA’S EAST–WEST PIPELINE

EMERGENCY FLARING DETECTED ALONG SAUDI ARABIA’S EAST–WEST PIPELINE

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Research Associate Mikhail Zhizhin and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how on the evening of September 10, 2026, Marhelm reported that unnamed diplomatic channels were describing “catastrophic damage” to Saudi Arabia’s East–West crude pipeline, later specifying “at least 8 places” and citing prior accuracy on Fujairah, Abqaiq and tanker incidents. September 13, 2026.

Landman Series: Latitudes, Magnitudes, and Attitudes – Part One: Carbon, Capture, Utilization, and Storage 9/11/2026

Landman Series: Latitudes, Magnitudes, and Attitudes – Part One: Carbon, Capture, Utilization, and Storage

Payne Institute Student Researcher Sarah Severin and Payne Institute Geothermal and Low Carbon Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield write about how Landmen know not only the site of prospective developments but the landowners, regulations, rightsholders, and often the historical context that comes with it. Part of what has left developers exposed to that backlash is a federal safety framework that hasn’t kept pace. September 11, 2026.

Cleaner Gas, Smarter Design: A Practical Path to Lower-Emissions Power 9/1/2026

Cleaner Gas, Smarter Design: A Practical Path to Lower-Emissions Power

Payne Institute Energy Finance Lab Director Brad Handler and Student Researcher Matthew Safran write about how lower-emissions gas sourcing, efficient combined-cycle generation, and carbon capture-ready construction offer hyperscalers a way to meet data center power demands without compromising on emissions.  September 1, 2026.

TERA Puts an Indian Tribe in Charge of Its Energy 8/21/2026

TERA Puts an Indian Tribe in Charge of Its Energy

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian writes about how on May 11 the Interior Department approved the nation’s first Tribal Energy Resource Agreement. It allows the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of southwestern Colorado to approve its own energy-related leases, rights of way and business agreements without federal sign-off.  August 21, 2026.

The geometry of shortage: Part 1 8/6/2026

The geometry of shortage: Part 1

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Fellow Jamie Webster write about how the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran spiked oil prices and prompted large releases from reserves, but such moves only buy time.  August 6, 2026.

Pakistan’s Solar Surge 8/3/2026

Pakistan’s Solar Surge

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Debabrata Chattopadhyay write about how Pakistan has become one of the world’s largest importers of solar panels. This is one of the most consequential energy transformations underway in any developing economy, and one that carries particular significance given the war with Iran.  August 3, 2026.

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