New rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency would require regular inspections of all methane-emitting oil and gas production sites throughout the country. In Pennsylvania, groups that support the rules say they'll open the door for more jobs in the natural-gas industry.

Isaac Brown, executive director of the Center for Methane Emission Solutions, noted there is a market now for technologies and companies to help energy producers address emissions, which means they'll need more workers.

"Jobs can be created to help companies comply with these rules," he said, "but because these rules will result in more product being saved that can be brought to market, producers can also actually see their profits increase."

The new rules are meant to supplement the comprehensive rules to capture more methane from leaks and flaring at well sites that the Biden administration released last year.

John Walliser, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, explained that methane has more than 80 times the global-warming power of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere - so curbing emissions is a way to slow climate change. He said that's important for Pennsylvania in several ways, because of the high number of wells in the state.

"The first is that the rule ensures that consistent leak detection and repair standards are applied at well sites," he said, "particularly for those that have equipment known to malfunction and cause fugitive emissions."

He said the rule will also require that operators monitor and report on low-producing or abandoned well sites until they are properly plugged and closed.

Walliser added that the EPA rules will mean other harmful pollutants are curbed as well as methane because of the more sophisticated technologies that will be used. He said that will also ensure methane can be captured and sold instead of escaping into the air.

"When you prevent fugitive emissions, you're preventing the waste of these resources, and that leads to cost savings, both for the oil and gas operators themselves as well as energy consumers," he said. "The other benefit we see for Pennsylvania is that it's going to help drive new technologies and the growth of businesses here in the state, in the methane-mitigation space."

He said several service and manufacturing firms already are located in Pennsylvania, and many are small businesses that can take advantage of these new opportunities.

Montana is a U.S. leader in the growing industry of sustainable aviation fuel. Experts in the field, and in the agricultural sector, hope to see new policies to support its development.

Sustainable aviation fuel can be made from a variety of agricultural inputs, including seed crops, which produce oils processed into fuel with a low-carbon footprint. Industry growth could mean new buyers for ag producers in the state, where Montana Renewables was the highest domestic producer of sustainable aviation fuel last year.

Bruce Fleming, CEO of the company, said China and Brazil are outpacing U.S. growth.

"If we can get our policy figured out, if we can get American innovation going and not fall behind, then we've got solutions here that will benefit the ag sector, particularly the farmers and ranchers," Fleming explained.

In terms of policy, Fleming acknowledged the "goalposts keep moving," because they vary between agencies at the state and federal levels, making it difficult to plan. He hopes to see policies that embrace the SAF innovation, as the nation did for ethanol.

Nicole Rolf, senior director of government affairs for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, said the opportunity for farmers to grow and market new commodities is enticing, but she will be watching for tax credits and other policies to support producers.

"How do we make sure that we put the right incentives in place so that we're truly using American-grown feedstocks, and crops and commodities, to feed these sustainable aviation-fuel suppliers?" Rolf asked.

The industry sees both challenges and benefits in Montana. For instance, there are currently no local oilseed crushers, so farmers must ship seeds for processing out-of-state. Rolf pointed out Montana is prepared to ship the finished product by rail and other means, as it already does for other energy products.

Utility providers foresee a big rise in electricity demand which could lead to double-digit rate hikes if it is met with new natural gas-fired power plants, according to a new report.

PJM is the nonprofit independent system managing the power grid in Pennsylvania and 12 other states. It forecasts the need for 67 more gigawatts by 2039.

Sean O'Leary, senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, said relying on natural gas for the increased power demand could drive up Pennsylvania's rates faster than the national average. He cautioned addressing the climate effects of increased carbon emissions later could make costs skyrocket even more.

"It costs almost as much to retrofit a gas-fired power plant so that it won't emit greenhouse gases as it costs to build the plant in the first place," O'Leary pointed out. "Right now, Pennsylvanians get about 60% of all of their electricity from natural gas."

O'Leary noted PJM anticipates needing around 100 gigawatts of new capacity, combining 30 gigawatts of retiring coal and older gas plants with additional demand, equating to about two-thirds of the system's current generation capacity.

The Institute's report recommended prioritizing renewable resources and called on PJM to reevaluate its demand projections, since it has a history of overestimating future needs. He added more than 90% of PJM's upcoming projects are solar, wind and battery storage, which underscores the growing role of renewable energy and efficiency measures.

"I think in total, there are more than 90 gigawatts, currently, of renewable resources currently queued up and wanting the opportunity to provide energy to PJM," O'Leary reported. "That should be the first place that PJM turns."

He added states like Texas have made enough progress on renewables, solar and wind power now supply almost one-third of the state's electricity. The report showed the growth in renewable energy has also seen rates come down significantly, surpassing Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, where it was once thought the natural gas boom lowered energy costs.

A new report contended Alabama needs to invest more in energy efficiency so it can do more to lower power bills and curb the effects of climate change.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's report, "Energy Efficiency in the Southeast," said Alabama trails other states in utility company energy efficiency investments. It found this leads not only to higher energy bills for customers, but increased carbon emissions contributing to the warming climate.

Eddy Moore, decarbonization director for the alliance, said there are multiple benefits to prioritizing energy efficiency.

"If we take energy efficiency seriously, there will be everyday cost savings, there will be delays of expensive investments," Moore outlined. "There's also a reliability benefit."

The report found utilities like Duke Energy in North and South Carolina outperform others in the Southeast, with Alabama Power at the bottom of the list.

Heather Pohnan, senior energy policy manager for the alliance, said the barriers to energy efficiency in Alabama include limited funding, minimal program investment and challenges in reaching low-income and rental housing markets. She noted federal funding, from sources like the Inflation Reduction Act, could be a substantial resource.

"The IRA includes tens of billions of dollars for energy efficiency," Pohnan pointed out. "It was a massive investment that includes tax credits, consumer rebates, loan programs and competitive grant opportunities."

She noted Alabama has yet to apply for key resources, like Home Energy Rebate funds. The future of the funding is unclear with the new leadership headed to the White House. But the report argued energy efficiency will be essential to bolster Alabama's power grid against the rising electricity demands of data centers and population growth and to mitigate the effects of extreme weather events.