Did you know that most of the U.S.’s progress in reducing emissions over the past decade has come from investments made by the oil & gas industry? In fact, the No. 1 reason carbon emissions have decreased in the U.S. is because technological breakthroughs have resulted in increased domestic natural gas production to generate our nation’s electricity, largely replacing coal-fired generation.

Methane emissions have also plunged. According to just-released data from the Environmental Protection Agency, methane emissions across all major oil and gas basins in the U.S. have fallen 44 percent since 2011. This has occurred even as our country continues to produce more crude oil than any other nation ever has.

Also of note are advancements U.S. refiners have made to produce cleaner gasoline and diesel fuels that, combined with new vehicle technologies, allow today’s cars, SUVs and pickup trucks to run about 99 percent cleaner than vehicles in 1970.

As a result of the increased use of natural gas to generate electricity, the air we breathe is cleaner today than it has been since the 1990s, and energy costs for the average U.S. household have decreased by more than 10 percent over the last decade.

For nearly 30 years, Energy Transfer has played a major role in powering the natural gas revolution, transporting approximately 30 percent of all natural gas in the U.S. – enough to power 155,844,000 homes annually.

Advanced Compression Technology

Energy Transfer also takes pride in innovating and using some of the most advanced technologies to manage emissions and reduce environmental impacts. Our Dual-Drive natural gas compression system, in use since 2001, features patented technology that involves both a natural gas engine and an electric motor. This allows each Dual Drive compression unit to switch between drivers at any time to actively manage greenhouse gas emissions and the use of the electrical grid.

In 2023, this one-of-a-kind compression technology allowed us to reduce our emissions in Texas by 789,908 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂), up from 752,062 tons in 2022 using 82 Dual Drive units running on electricity approximately 80 percent of the time. In addition, 15 units were operated by third parties across the West Texas region in 2023, saving another 112,000 tons of CO₂.

Dual Drive Technologies has garnered numerous industry accolades over the years, including the Gulf Energy Information Excellence Award for Innovation in Pipeline Engineering – Midstream in 2023; the D CEO Magazine Award for Excellence in Innovation and Sustainability in 2022; and the GPA Midstream Environmental Excellence Award in 2021.

Carbon Sequestration

Another industry initiative is to reduce carbon emissions through sequestration, a process that involves capturing CO₂ that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, and then securely storing it deep underground in geological formations.

Energy Transfer sequestered approximately 69,400 metric tons of CO₂ in 2023 through carbon capture and sequestration technology installed at treating and processing facilities located in New Mexico and Texas, an initiative we are looking to expand to other regions in the near future.

In addition, Energy Transfer’s support of conservation projects in Ohio and Louisiana through our partnership with Ducks Unlimited helped to sequester more than 368 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) in 2023.

It’s nice to know that the U.S. oil and gas industry not only reliably provides the energy needed each day to heat our homes, fuel our cars, cook our meals, and bring products to market – it’s also investing heavily in new technologies that will continue to make a difference in reducing air emissions and protecting the environment.