Colorado’s oil and gas industry is a leader in the responsible development of energy, reducing emissions while simultaneously increasing production. Yet, as we continue to move toward increasingly cleaner energy, we must build on this progress by continuing to address the industry’s methane emissions.

In the United States, the oil and gas industry accounts for an estimated 29% of total domestic methane emissions. Methane is primarily released through venting, flaring and leaking throughout all phases of drilling and production.

With some of the nation’s largest oil and gas production capacity, methane contributes significantly to Colorado’s emissions. This is particularly problematic because it is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide during the first 20 years. As concerning as that might sound, reducing methane emissions now is an actionable way to reduce warming in the near term.

In this way, methane offers an opportunity for Colorado’s oil and gas companies to further reduce their climate impact while continuing to produce abundant American energy. The state has already proved it can lead on this issue, and in 2014 Colorado became the first state in the nation to limit methane emissions in the oil and gas industry. We have made significant progress since then, but there is certainly room for improvement, particularly as new technologies and solutions arise.

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This leadership is particularly important to the future oil and gas workers in our state. More than 6,000 young engineering students signed a petition calling on the industry to take steps to reduce methane emissions through innovation and advanced technology. The future of the industry wants to see this change.

Moreover, mitigating methane emissions is far from an impossible task. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 75% of methane emissions coming from the oil and gas sector can be avoided with existing technology, and at low costs. In fact, many oil and gas companies are already voluntarily adopting technologies and practices that reduce their methane emissions to save money and market their product as a cleaner alternative.

Yet, mitigating methane emissions not only benefits the climate, it also benefits the economy. On a national level, inefficiencies in the oil and gas industry result in losing $2 billion worth of natural gas through methane emissions. That’s enough to heat 10 million American homes for a year. Considering oil and gas production in Colorado accounts for nearly 4% of the state’s GDP, such obvious waste should be eliminated to ensure maximum productivity.

Additionally, the potential for wasted energy should be viewed as an opportunity to ensure energy security in Colorado. Despite the state’s track record of grid reliability, recent years have exposed vulnerabilities caused by increased weather extremes and the energy transition. We continue to fall behind, with grid issues increasingly threatening our ability to provide affordable, reliable energy to hard-working Coloradans. By ensuring natural gas is not wasted through the release of methane emissions, the state’s oil and gas industry can continue to ensure adequate energy supplies.

If Colorado’s oil and gas industry hopes to maintain a competitive advantage, reducing methane emissions will be imperative. Consumers are continuously looking to the private sector for cleaner and more responsibly produced products, and addressing methane emissions is one way oil and gas companies can provide this.

The United States produces some of the cleanest oil and gas products in the world, and Colorado’s leadership on emission reductions has contributed significantly to that. To continue leading the way in the transition to increasingly cleaner energy, Colorado oil and gas companies must continue to push the needle on innovative solutions to methane abatement. Our environment, economy and energy security will depend on it.

Sarah Jensen lives in Boulder and has been involved with the American Conservation Coalition for nearly four years, including roles as a campus ambassador, branch leader and policy associate.