Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia to be Supplied With Natural Gas Certified by MiQ

Washington Gas signs deal to source gas with independent certification for lower methane intensity associated with production. 

The deal represents a reduction in production segment emissions that is equivalent to taking approximately 6,000 cars off the road within 12 months.

WASHINGTON and LONDON, Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Gas today announced the next step in its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company entered into transactions with Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Ascent Resources to supply its customers in the National Capital Region (NCR) with natural gas that is independently certified by MiQ. MiQ issues a certificate for each 1MMBtu of natural gas that represents where and when the gas was produced and the methane intensity of production. Production represents a large portion of natural gas value chain emissions, and these can be avoided using existing technology.

"We are very pleased to increase our procurement of certified natural gas as we work to lower the emissions associated with the essential energy we deliver to our customers every day," said Blue Jenkins, president of Washington Gas.      

Washington Gas will provide customers with gas that has been independently audited and verified as less methane-intensive using MiQ's certification standard. This standard provides producers, such as Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Ascent Resources, with a transparent A-F grading scale using third-party auditors and advanced technology providers. Both Chesapeake and Ascent's production facilities were awarded the top 'A' grades for minimizing methane emissions, reducing them to an intensity less than 0.05% – and below the production sector average.

Washington Gas' industry-leading agreement is estimated to reduce CO2 equivalent emissions by roughly 28,000 metric tons when compared to the Environmental Protection Agency - determined industry average natural gas. According to the EPA GHG equivalencies calculator, this reduction is the equivalent of taking approximately 6,000 gas-powered passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

"With the purchase of a significant batch of MiQ certified gas, Washington Gas is leading the charge amongst U.S. and global utilities, and we believe this will encourage others to join the initiative of pushing methane abatement amongst the oil and gas suppliers," said Georges Tijbosch, CEO, MiQ.

"Washington Gas is committed to ushering in innovative energy options for our customers including using fuel sources to support decarbonization. Purchasing gas from Chesapeake and Ascent that has been certified for lower methane intensity by MiQ represents another tangible action in our commitment to reduce GHG emissions and address climate change," said Melissa Adams, chief corporate social responsibility officer for Washington Gas.      

The agreement went into effect on Nov. 1, 2022 and will be in place through the 2022-2023 winter heating season. 

About Washington Gas
Washington Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of AltaGas Ltd [TSX:ALA], is a regulated natural gas utility that provides safe, reliable natural gas service to more than 1.2 million customers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The company has been providing energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers for almost 175 years. Learn more at www.washingtongas.com. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About MiQ
MiQ is an independent not-for-profit established by RMI (formerly the Rocky Mountain Institute) and global sustainability consultancy SYSTEMIQ to facilitate a rapid reduction in methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

MiQ is the fastest growing and a globally recognized methane emissions certification standard. Certification allows global society to credibly differentiate gas based on its methane emissions performance, providing a market mechanism that incentivizes methane reduction. MiQ's vision is to create a market where certified natural gas can be traded like other historical commodities, ultimately creating incentives to drive down methane emissions across the board.

About Certification      
MiQ Certificates reflect the emissions impact of each batch of gas, how much methane was leaked during production, how effective the company's methane emissions management processes and procedures are, and how robust their methane detection technology is. Together, they provide the information needed to drive market improvements.

MiQ Certification helps gas buyers better understand what they're buying and the impact it is having on the planet.

SOURCE MiQ; Washington Gas