	Introduction

In the climate change policy debate, methane capture projects have garnered attention for their ability to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The captured methane is generally flared or used for energy purposes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified four sources of methane with the greatest potential for capture in the near term: landfills, coal mines, agriculture, and oil and gas systems. The amount of methane captured from each will depend on legislative developments, regulations, economics, technology, and outreach. Methane (CH 4 ) constituted approximately 8% of U.S. GHG emissions in 2008. Efforts to reduce emissions of methane—the second-most important GHG after carbon dioxide (CO 2 )—could play a significant role in climate change mitigation. This report will discuss the policy options for addressing methane capture (and their implications), legislative proposals for methane capture, domestic and international sources of methane, opportunities and challenges for methane capture, and federal programs that support methane capture. Policy Options for Addressing Methane Capture

If policymakers decide to address methane emissions, multiple strategies are available that would either encourage or require methane capture: market-based legislative approaches, such as a cap-and-trade program or emissions fees; carbon offsets or credits as a complementary design element of a market-based approach; emission performance standards; and/or maintaining existing programs and incentives. In addition, some of the source categories identified in Table 1 may be more amenable to emissions coverage than others. The strength of the incentive would depend on the stringency of the emission control program. Asia is reported as having emitted the most methane on a regional basis. Additionally, methane is emitted during oil production, transportation, and refining. Congress and the executive branch have supported methane capture projects through voluntary programs, energy management programs, and research and development programs. Methane-to-Markets Partnership

The Methane-to-Markets Partnership is an international initiative for methane capture and reuse from four sources: oil and gas, coal mines, landfills, and agriculture. Voluntary Methane Programs

EPA facilitates a number of voluntary programs related to the Methane-to-Markets initiative that seek to reduce domestic methane emissions from different sectors. The Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) encourages landfill gas energy projects. EPA's domestic methane programs avoided the release of more than 20.3 million metric tons of CO 2 e into the atmosphere in 2008, out of the roughly 308 million metric tons of CO 2 e of the methane emissions reported for the landfills, natural gas systems, petroleum systems, and coal mining categories.
Research on climate change has identified a wide array of sources that emit greenhouse gases (GHGs). Among the six gases that have generally been the primary focus of concern, methane is the second-most abundant, accounting for approximately 8% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2008. Methane is emitted from a number of sources. The most significant are agriculture (both animal digestive systems and manure management); landfills; oil and gas production, refining, and distribution; and coal mining.
As policymakers consider options to reduce GHG emissions, methane capture projects offer an array of possible reduction opportunities, many of which utilize proven technologies. Methane capture projects (e.g., landfill gas projects, anaerobic digestion systems) restrict the release of methane into the atmosphere. The methane captured can be used for energy or flared. Methane capture challenges differ depending on the source. Most methane capture technologies face obstacles to implementation, including marginal economics in many cases, restricted pipeline access, and various legal issues.
Some of the leading methane capture options under discussion include market-based emission control programs, carbon offsets, emission performance standards, and maintaining existing programs and incentives. At present, methane capture technologies are supported by tax incentives in some cases, by research and demonstration programs in others, by regulation in the case of the largest landfills, and by voluntary programs. Congress could decide to address methane capture in a number of different ways, including (1) determining the role of methane capture in energy and environmental legislation; (2) determining whether methane capture should be addressed on an industry-by-industry basis; and (3) determining if current methane capture initiatives will be further advanced with legislative action regardless of other facets of the environmental policy debate. What role methane capture would play in prospective regulations to control GHGs is among the issues that Congress faces.
A few government programs have supported the capture of methane to mitigate climate change. The Methane-to-Markets Partnership, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is an international initiative to reduce global methane emissions. EPA also oversees a variety of voluntary programs related to the Methane-to-Markets initiative (e.g., Coalbed Methane Outreach Program, Natural Gas STAR Program, Landfill Methane Outreach Program, AgSTAR Program).
This report discusses alternatives for addressing methane capture, sources of methane, opportunities and challenges for methane capture, and current federal programs that support methane recovery.