Managing our footprint

We recognize that how we interact with the environment is of vital importance to you. It is to us, too. Our principles of stewardship, protection, and performance reflect our culture and guide our decisions every day when building and operating energy infrastructure.

We’re committed to protecting air, water, land and wildlife throughout the complete life cycle of our assets.

Clean burning natural gas

Natural gas is one of the world’s cleanest and safest energy sources. Electricity generated from natural gas replaces higher carbon emitting fuels such as coal, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

On our Iroquois system, we are working on a project to install new state-of-the art compressors that include oxidation catalyst equipment to reduce emissions. The project will also enable delivery of additional natural gas into the New York region, potentially replacing fuel oil with natural gas for lower-emission electricity generation.

Natural gas and its associated infrastructure also complement renewables for those times when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining, which is a reminder that our future is one of natural gas and renewables, not natural gas or renewables.

Harnessing renewable biogas

Cattle are notorious for being big producers of methane emissions. Given the prominence of beef in our diets and cultures, there are creative opportunities to mitigate their environmental impact and contribute to renewable energy solutions.

Threemile Canyon Farms in Oregon is doing just that. They are turning the manure from some 33,000 dairy cows into renewable natural gas, or biogas.

The gas reaches consumers in California through an interconnect with our GTN system that was brought into service in 2019. This includes a specialized meter station equipped with analyzers, shut-in valving, and equipment to ensure the gas entering the pipeline is tariff quality.

The benefits to the environment are significant. As part of Threemile’s methane extraction process, some 136,000 tonnes a year of C02 emissions are avoided, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from about 29,000 passenger vehicles.

Threemile is not our only biogas-producing customer. We are also receiving biogas captured from cow manure at Town Hall Road in Wisconsin and a landfill at Dane County in Wisconsin, via our Great Lakes pipeline.

Our participation in projects like these helps remove emissions from the gas value chain while continuing to deliver affordable energy to consumers.

Restoring waterways in Deschutes National Forest

The Deschutes National Forest runs along the eastern slopes of the Cascade mountains in Central Oregon. It is home to a wide variety of forest biomes, more than 80 campgrounds, and countless fishing, hiking, and horseback riding opportunities. It is also home to ten miles of pipeline and one compressor station on our GTN system, making the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) one of our landowners. More than eight million visitors enjoy the distinct beauty and recreation areas of the forest each year. We share their interest in preserving these lands.

In 2020, we lent our support to a $100,000 project to restore Paulina Creek, a unique water system in the high desert plateau area about 25 miles from Bend, OR. The creek was disturbed more than 60 years ago by gravel mining activity. At that time, the creek was moved and channeled away from its natural course, and heavy activity damaged the site. The ecosystem has never fully recovered.

The project will restore the natural flow of the creek, encourage native plant establishment, enhance pollinator habitat, and control invasive plant growth in the area. It will also create a wetland, improving the habitat for fish and other aquatic species. As well, it will improve access to a popular hiking trail nearby.

The Deschutes National Forest is excited about the opportunity to restore and enrich a valuable piece of land that is important for ecological purposes and enhancing the forest visitor experience.”

Marlo Fisher
Botanist and Invasive Plant Manager with the Forest Service

TC Energy subsidiaries are the operator of most of our pipelines.

Learn more about our approach to environmental protection: TCEnergy.com/Sustainability/Environment.