Health and Environment

The increased use of natural gas in the United States has led to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. In May of 2016, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that energy-related carbon dioxide emissions totaled 1,925 million metric tons, the lowest amount since 1993 and 21% below 2005 levels. The EIA stated that the reason for this reduction is the shift of the electricity generation mix, with power from natural gas and renewables displacing coal-fired power.

The Millennium Pipeline Company is proud to safely deliver clean-burning natural gas that is ultimately used in power generation facilities, schools, homes, and businesses. The use of natural gas is creating a cleaner environment and thanks to the flexible nature of natural-gas fired power plants, more electric generation produced at renewable facilities like solar and wind energy centers are able to integrate into the electric power grid.

The ability to quickly start up, or ramp down, natural gas plants provides the flexibility the grid needs to meet energy demands when the sun is not shinning or the wind is not blowing at sufficient levels.  Batteries will someday assist with this flexibility, but at this time cannot cost effectively provide this reliability for energy consumers on a mass scale.

New York State is fourth in the nation in natural gas consumption and ranks 22nd in natural gas production, which drives a need to safely move gas from where it is produced to where it is used. Millennium has a strong safety record and places the highest priority on the health and safety of our neighbors, customers, and employees.


Natural Gas & Environment: Quick facts

  • According to EIA, natural gas emits 52% less CO2 than coal for the same electricity produced.
  • The natural gas industry has reduced methane emissions by 38 percent since 2005.
  • According to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, which was created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), methane, there is no scientific evidence that methane is a long-term health hazard.
  • According data compiled in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, methane emissions comprise 10.6% of U.S. anthropogenic GHG emissions and methane emissions from the natural gas industry comprise 2.6% of total emissions. The EPA data shows that these emissions have been declining continuously since the early 1990s.
  • The replacement of coal with natural gas as fuel source for power generation has steadily increased over the years and lead to reduced emissions of pollutants such as mercury, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
  • A Bloomberg Energy Finance report finds that the increased use of natural gas is beneficial to our environment having brought the United States’ electricity-related carbon emissions down to their lowest levels in more than 20 years. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz attributes half of the U.S. carbon reduction to the country’s natural gas boom as more power plants use natural gas, instead of coal, to produce electricity.

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