California to launch methane-detecting satellite network, Gov. Gavin Newsom says
Plans are in the works for California to launch a methane-detecting satellite network, the governor's office says.
The project is a continuation of the state's efforts to launch its "own damn satellite," as former California governor Jerry Brown said, to track pollution.
Gov. Gavin Newsom called out the recent rollback of environmental regulations by the Trump administration in his Friday announcement of the project.
"California isn't having it. Thanks to our state investment, we're using satellite technology to detect methane leaks as they happen," Newsom said in a statement.
A total of eight satellites will eventually make up the network. The State of California won't own the satellites, officials say, but it will maintain the project's database and control which areas are selected for observation.
The first of the state's methane-detecting satellites was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in August 2024. No timeline has been given as to when the other satellites will be launched.
"The effort provides information that is much closer to real-time than the data now available," said California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph in a statement.
Climate scientists have been taking a closer look at methane emissions in recent years, noting how the chemical is a powerful heat-trapping gas.
According to NOAA, methane has been found to be the second-largest chemical contributing to global warming – with about 60% of methane emissions being linked to human activity.
California's methane-tracking satellite project is being funded by a $100 million investment from the state's Cap-and-Trade program.
