Colorado State University research in methane mapping was recognized during the 2018 Climate Leadership Conference, held in Denver Feb. 28-March 2.

National Grid, an electricity, natural gas and clean energy delivery company, accepted a Climate Leadership Award in the “Innovative Partnerships” category for its partnership with CSU, Environmental Defense Fund and Google Earth Outreach. Together, the organizations are working to target and repair National Grid’s largest nonhazardous natural gas leaks. The partnership has resulted in collecting data in New York to help inform repair efforts across National Grid’s entire U.S. territory, which also includes parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

National Grid’s targeted leak-repair plan is based on research led by Joseph von Fischer, professor in the Department of Biology. For several years, von Fischer’s team has used Google Street View cars to map natural gas methane leaks in metropolitan areas using laser-based methane analyzers. This new technology is helping utilities find more of the leaks in their systems, and to estimate the size of the leaks so larger ones can be prioritized for repair more quickly.

The national Climate Leadership Awards recognize corporate leadership in addressing climate change and finding innovative ways to reduce carbon pollution and climate risk. The awards are co-sponsored by the Center for Climate and Energy solutions and The Climate Registry.