PG&E outlines data platform to automate NGLA appendices and apply mobile "super-emitter" survey results per leak
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Summary
PG&E presented a centralized data platform pulling ~105 sources into 20 datasets to automate appendix generation, allow monthly KPIs, and a use case that uses geospatial applicability of super-emitter mobile surveys to determine per-leak emission-factor assignment.
Kevin Pease, an engineer on PG&E’s greenhouse gas emission strategies team, described a project to centralize reporting inputs into refreshable datasets so appendices for the Natural Gas Leak Abatement report can be auto-generated and operational teams can access monthly KPIs rather than a once‑a‑year snapshot.
Pease said PG&E has connected roughly 105 source systems and compiled them into 20 refreshable datasets that correspond to appendix categories (leaks, damages, vented components, etc.), enabling quality-control, standardization and faster generation of reporting appendices. "We plan to complete the project this year and so we'll have a lot of similar capabilities...including geospatial analytics," Pease said.
He presented a use case applying polygons of the field-of-view from an Advanced Mobile Leak Detection (super-emitter) survey together with leak discovery and repair dates to determine whether a given leak was covered by the survey and which emission-factor category (super-emitter, average, non-super) should apply to that leak. Pease said this per-leak applicability determination improves reporting accuracy compared with assigning a single appendix-level factor to broad fractions of territory.
Attendees asked whether PG&E used artificial intelligence; Pease replied the platform currently uses deterministic calculations and that AI may be considered in the future. Pease clarified that the "20 datasets" represent compiled datasets drawn from roughly 105 source systems rather than 105 separate appendices.
Why it matters: Automating appendix generation and tying survey applicability to individual leaks should reduce manual workload, improve QA/QC, and yield more precise assignment of emission factors for reporting.
PG&E invited further technical follow-up and said it will compare appendices generated by the old and new methods for 2025 to validate accuracy before full adoption.