WASHINGTON, DC (March 28, 2014) – The Obama administration today released its Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions—a part of the president’s Climate Action Plan. The following is a statement from BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director David Foster:

“The administration has taken important first steps toward curbing methane emissions—a gas that pound for pound has a 20 times greater impact on climate change than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period—and enhancing utility reliability. It’s also an important chance to further job creation potential and spur domestic manufacturing. We applaud the Department of Energy for advancing these important efforts and especially their solicitation of input from a broad group of stakeholders.

“Repairs and upgrades will inevitably be part of the solution to methane leakage and this is where the most significant job creation potential lies. The natural gas distribution system includes thousands of miles of aging pipelines that can be made much more efficient if replaced, creating tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs along the way.

“The BlueGreen Alliance’s RECAP (Repairing Our Cities Aging Pipelines) program is already working to advance large-scale investments that will allow us to modernize our natural gas pipeline network and accelerate current efforts to repair America’s pipelines. We look forward to the many ways the Quadrennial Energy Review will help to advance this work.”