Measuring Methane: State Actions to Reduce Pollution and Create a Market

It's as easy as M-M-R-V.

Methane is a greenhouse gas “super-pollutant” that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years. We can manage what we measure, but when it comes to methane emissions, we come up painfully short: most national databases, including the United States, are significantly underreporting those emissions. This gap calls for a better understanding of the scale of our global methane problem.

This is especially an issue in the oil and gas industry, where small leaks, super-emitter events, and routine practices like flaring and venting can add massive amounts of methane to our atmosphere.

Thankfully, we now have new technology to help. A mixture of ground sensors, aerial surveys, and satellites can help identify and reduce methane pollution more cost-effectively than ever before. Simultaneously, more buyers are indicating a preference for low-leak oil and gas.

But new technology alone is not enough — it must be deployed and properly utilized to reach comparable emissions results across different regions. This is where measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) frameworks come in.

This article outlines why strong MMRV frameworks matter, the opportunity for state-level leadership in the United States, and how these states should think about designing MMRV policies.

What is “MMRV” and why does it matter?

Using MMRV frameworks results in high quality emissions data, which is essential to emission reduction efforts.

At its heart, MMRV is about generating reliable emissions data. Measurement quantifies the magnitude of emissions using direct data rather than generalized estimations or models. Monitoring provides continuous or frequent observation of oil and gas operations to detect leaks and abnormal emissions events as they occur. Reporting ensures that operators convey accurate, timely information to regulators and the public. And verification confirms that the data is as accurate and complete as possible.

For decades, the United States has estimated methane emissions by using “emissions factors” — pollution estimates linked to certain types of equipment or activities. Often generic, these factors are then applied the same way across different oil and gas producers.

But research shows that methane releases can vary widely from one oil and gas operation to another, even when the facilities look alike and produce the same products. Furthermore, estimating emissions using these generic emissions factors often produces totals that are considerably lower than those revealed by measurements.

A 2023 study found that reported emissions differed significantly from observed emissions among major producers in Texas’s Permian Basin.

That’s partially because these calculation-based methods often miss short-lived but potentially intense pollution bursts — sometimes called “super-emitter” events — that can heavily influence a region’s overall emissions but often slip through traditional reporting systems.

The components of MMRV create a transparent system capable of identifying problems early on and provide meaningful data that can improve methane management, target leakage problems, and create a market advantage for buyers that care about methane pollution.

Could US states employ MMRV frameworks for the oil and gas sector?

Implementing state-level MMRV frameworks is administratively feasible.

State-led MMRV frameworks are technically and administratively feasible. Recent advances in sensing technologies, data analytics, and remote monitoring have made MMRV frameworks more rigorous, cost-effective, and impactful than ever before.

States have a history of successfully utilizing MMRV frameworks to manage general greenhouse gas emissions. And, in 2024, Colorado became the first state to implement an MMRV framework specifically for methane emissions with its landmark Oil and Natural Gas Methane Intensity Verification Protocol.

While other states have undertaken groundbreaking efforts to better understand their methane emissions, to date no other state has implemented a methane-specific MMRV framework.

Why should states consider MMRV frameworks for oil and gas?

Global markets are increasingly demanding methane emissions data be based on robust MMRV systems.

States that implement robust MMRV frameworks will not only better understand emission sources within their borders but can help ensure in-state industry remains competitive on a global scale. An increasing number of regions are signaling an interest in understanding the upstream methane emissions associated with their natural gas supply chains.

The European Union’s Methane Regulation will require MMRV data for all imported natural gas beginning in 2027. And emerging initiatives in Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and Canada demonstrate a growing expectation that oil and gas producers will be subject to robust, MMRV-based emissions reporting. Producers lacking credible MMRV systems may experience competitive disadvantages. This is particularly true in markets where buyers are beginning to differentiate natural gas based on verified emissions performance. In this context, MMRV becomes not only a climate-friendly compliance mechanism, but a strategic economic asset.

How can states design and implement robust MMRV frameworks?

States can design and implement methane-specific MMRV frameworks in line with four key principles.

As states consider designing or upgrading their methane reporting frameworks, several guiding principles can help shape an effective approach.

1. Consider designing MMRV frameworks to align with emerging national and international standards, including those influenced by the ongoing EU rulemaking and global market expectations. Alignment reduces administrative burden for operators and regulators, strengthens data comparability, and positions states to remain competitive.
2. Detailed equipment-level data and larger scale, site-level data— often referred to as “top-down” / “bottom-up” emissions data — will make an MMRV program robust. This reconciliation process helps ensure that all emission sources and events are accounted for.
3. Especially in states with oil and gas production, MMRV programs can also benefit from incorporating a dedicated super-emitter response mechanism. Recognizing the outsized climate impact of these high-emission events, rapid detection requirements and clear response protocols ensure that the most consequential emissions events are addressed quickly and transparently.
4. Specifying clear technical requirements can strengthen MMRV programs. For example, state programs could include guidance regarding the smallest methane leak a technology must be able to detect, the frequency at which measurements must be made, and which emission sources must be measured.

Implementing methane-specific MMRV frameworks will help states reach emissions targets and improve long-term market competitiveness by aligning domestic production with evolving market standards.

For oil- and gas-producing states seeking to reduce their super-polluting methane emissions while also maintaining economic relevance, robust MMRV protocols are a critical and forward-looking policy instrument — one that is technically feasible, increasingly expected across the globe, and within reach of US state leadership.

The authors wish to thank Bloomberg Philanthropies, Jacob Corvidae, and Shannon Hughes for supporting this article.