Regulations Limiting Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Natural Gas-fired Generation of Electricity

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and partner organizations support the 2030 coal phase-out but warn that the proposed Gas Regulations may encourage investment in inefficient natural gas technologies. They highlight significant health risks from hydraulic fracturing and the high climate-forcing potential of methane. The submission recommends lowering CO2 emission limits for new and medium-sized units, banning inefficient coal-to-gas boilers after 2029, and requiring offsets for emissions during emergency maintenance.

• The submitting organizations argue that climate change is the most significant public health challenge of the current generation, affecting air quality, water security, food supplies, and the prevalence of insect-borne diseases.
• Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas extraction is linked to significant health and environmental harms; a 2018 review found that 69% of water quality studies showed contamination, 87% of air quality studies found significant pollutant emissions, and 84% of human health risk studies indicated harm.
• Methane emissions from the oil and gas sector pose a severe climate risk, with the IPCC estimating methane is 86 times more powerful as a climate forcer than CO2 over a 20-year period. In Canada, the oil and gas sector is responsible for 44% of methane emissions, which constitute about 15% of the country's total greenhouse gases.
• Inefficient natural gas-fired technologies emit nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to ground-level ozone and secondary fine particulate matter (PM2.5), both of which are linked to increased emergency room visits, chronic heart and lung diseases, and premature deaths.
• The authors propose reducing the CO2 emission rate for medium-sized combustion engine units (25 to 150 MW) from 550 kg to 500 kg CO2/MWHr, as nine such units in Canada met this lower threshold in 2017.
• The submission argues that coal-to-gas boilers that cannot meet the 400 kg CO2/MWHr rate should be prohibited from operating after December 31, 2029, to prevent inefficient plants from operating beyond the coal phase-out date.
• The organizations request that emissions released by replacement equipment during maintenance or repairs (up to 90 days) be reported and offset through the purchase of allowances or offsets to ensure climate goals are not compromised.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2018). Regulations Limiting Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Natural Gas-fired Generation of Electricity. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Health-Gas-Submission-April-17-2018-1.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Regulations Limiting Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Natural Gas-fired Generation of Electricity. 2018. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Health-Gas-Submission-April-17-2018-1.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Regulations Limiting Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Natural Gas-fired Generation of Electricity |date=17 April 2018 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Health-Gas-Submission-April-17-2018-1.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2018regulations, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Regulations Limiting Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Natural Gas-fired Generation of Electricity}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2018}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Health-Gas-Submission-April-17-2018-1.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }