Updating SF6 Reporting Requirements
This piece was originally published in the January 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Jonathan Stewart, Government Relations Manager, NEMA
Caption: Nameplate adjustments is one solution to SF6 emission-reporting challenges. Photo by Karla Trost, G&W Electric
NEMA Government Relations Manager Jonathan Stewart discussed sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) emissions and pending rule changes to state reporting requirements related to it with a group of utilities in Tampa, Florida, in November.
SF6, a highly potent greenhouse gas that has a global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide, is used in the electrical sector to insulate medium- and high-voltage transmission and distribution equipment against electrical arcing.
In California and Massachusetts, utilities are required to report annual SF6 emissions and face potential fines if those emissions exceed a specified threshold. California is preparing to update its rule to allow greater flexibility for reporting entities to track and report actual (instead of estimated) emissions.