Natural Gas STAR Program

Natural Gas STAR Program Reporting

Annual reporting is one key component of the Natural Gas STAR Program. After one full year of participation in the Program, partners may begin submitting an annual report documenting the previous year’s methane emission reduction activities. It is important to note that all reported emission reduction activities must be voluntary and not driven by any regulatory requirement, whether federal, state or local.

EPA provides the Excel-based reporting forms (below) for Natural Gas STAR partners to prepare and submit their annual reports. Natural Gas STAR partners should report recent voluntary activities that have resulted in methane emissions reductions.

Annual reports should be completed and sent to EPA by June 30, 2020 at GasSTAR@epa.gov.

View the annual reporting forms for the following segments:

What is Included in an Annual Report?

Natural Gas STAR annual reporting consists of voluntary (non-regulatory driven) methane emission reduction activities that partner companies have implemented in the previous year, including corresponding methane emissions reductions achieved. If desired, partners can report past activities that have resulted in methane emissions reductions that have not been previously reported to EPA.

The implementation of certain technologies and practices reduces methane emissions for multiple years; therefore, Natural Gas STAR allows these to count toward a partner company’s emissions reductions beyond the initial year of implementation. Natural Gas STAR designates the maximum length of time that emissions reductions can accrue as “sunset dates.” Companies may either report the corresponding methane emissions reductions each year up to the allowable sunset date, or allow EPA to automatically roll-up their reductions for the designated period of time. View a complete list of Natural Gas STAR recommended technologies and practices and corresponding sunset dates.

What are the Benefits of Reporting?

Through Program participation and reporting, companies create a permanent record of their voluntary accomplishments in reducing methane emissions. It is through annual reporting that partners receive an individual, detailed summary report that highlights the progress a company has made since joining the Program.

Companies in both Natural Gas STAR and Methane Challenge

Companies that participate in both the Natural Gas STAR and Methane Challenge Programs need only report any given voluntary action/methane reduction once. All actions/reductions that are covered by Methane Challenge reporting should be reported to Methane Challenge. If partners complete voluntary methane reducing activities that are not covered by Methane Challenge reporting, they are welcome to report those to Natural Gas STAR, but again should not report reductions that are going to be reported to Methane Challenge.