State and Regional Regulations Related to SF6 Emissions from Electric Transmission and Distribution
State and Regional Regulations
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cap and invest initiative to reduce power sector CO2 emissions among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Within RGGI, Connecticut offers the award of offset allowances to qualifying projects which reduce SF6. More information is available on here.
California
The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) regulation for "Reducing Sulfur Hexafluoride Emissions from Gas Insulated Switchgear" took effect in 2011 and is codified in the same subchapter as CARB’s mandatory GHG reporting and cap-and-trade regulations. The regulation applies to all owners of SF6-insulated switchgear. In 2022, CARB finalized regulatory amendments to phase out use of SF6 in gas-insulated equipment (GIE) starting in 2025. The phaseout schedule limits the GIE owners’ ability to acquire new SF6 GIE without an approved SF6 phaseout exemption. Annual emission limits have also been updated from rate-based to mass-based. More information on California’s regulation can be found at CARB.
Massachusetts
The 310 CMR 7.72 regulation aims to reduce SF6 emissions from gas-insulated switchgear. Companies and municipalities that own, lease, operate, or control gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) that contain SF6 (collectively referred by the regulation as “GIS owners”) and are located in Massachusetts are required to comply with this regulation. It imposes a maximum annual SF6 leak rate of 1 percent for GIS purchases after 2015. If the annual average leakage rate for the new GIS equipment exceeds 1 percent, the GIS owner must describe the actions that will be taken to reduce the emission rate in the future. More information about 310 CMR 7.72 can be found at MassDEP.
New York
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYSDEC) "Part 495, Sulfur Hexafluoride Standards and Reporting" regulation was finalized in 2024. The rule applies to owners of electrical equipment insulated with SF6 or other covered insulating gases (i.e., fluorinated gases with a 20-year global warming potential greater than 1). Similar to California regulation, the rule implements a voltage-based phaseout of SF6-gas insulated equipment (GIE) beginning in 2027, limiting acquisition of new SF6 GIE without an approved exemption. Additional requirements include a systemwide emissions limit of 1% based on a 3-year rolling average beginning in 2030, insulating gas and equipment inventories, limitations on the use of SF6, and other reporting requirements. The rule can be accessed at NYSDEC's Climate Change Regulatory Revisions.
Reporting Requirements and Other Programs Reducing Power Sector Emissions
EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) defines reporting requirements for applicable users of electrical transmission and distribution equipment.
EPA's power sector regulatory programs reduce air emissions from stacks and provide comprehensive information about the electric power sector.