California is investing $95 million in a groundbreaking program to monitor methane emissions using satellite technology. An additional $5 million will aid communities in utilizing this data to curb pollution. This significant contract, announced on March 21 by Governor Gavin Newsom, was awarded to the nonprofit organization Carbon Mapper by the California Air Resources Board.
Carbon Mapper will process and distribute data collected by Planet Tanager hyperspectral-imaging satellites. The first Tanager satellite, launched in August 2023, is part of a planned constellation of at least three. While the contract specifies spatial coverage, Planet will determine the necessary number of satellites.
“This campaign will help us better identify sources of pollution” and offer “information that is much closer to real time than the data now available,” California Air Resources Board chair Liane Randolph explained. “It allows us to directly address one of the major contributors to what has become an immediate threat to public health and the environment. It also provides an opportunity for California to work with other jurisdictions which want to develop their own, similar satellite methane monitoring and reduction programs.”
This initiative supports California's ambitious goal of reducing methane emissions by 40 percent compared to 2013 levels. The data acquisition from Carbon Mapper under the Satellite Data Purchase Program is a key component of this strategy. Carbon Mapper’s online portal, launched in October, has already yielded significant results. A pipeline leak in the Permian Basin was identified and promptly addressed following a report generated from the satellite data.
“It’s a privilege being selected to support California’s methane reduction goals, and an exciting milestone with long-term benefits for communities across the state,” said Carbon Mapper CEO Riley Duren. “Through this program, the State of California is leading the way in leveraging satellite remote-sensing technology to provide critical methane observations and data that can drive effective mitigation actions. We applaud the state for its continued commitment to climate leadership.”
The Tanager satellites utilize hyperspectral sensors, developed at JPL, providing 30-meter resolution for emission mapping. Each satellite can observe approximately 130,000 square kilometers daily. Planet co-founder and CEO Will Marshall highlighted the effectiveness of the technology, stating on March 21, “Our partner, Carbon Mapper, has published over 1,000 methane and CO2 plume detections based on insights gleaned from the data. And we’re actively preparing to offer commercial data to the broader market, particularly to the energy and civil government verticals, within the next few months.”
Governor Newsom's announcement coincided with him becoming co-chair of America is All In, a coalition dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It's important to note that while the Carbon Mapper consortium, a former collaboration including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Arizona, and the California Air Resources Board, supported the first Tanager satellite, it is not receiving funding under this new contract.