A path to reduce your carbon footprint.
Additional Resources
*Not available to Nevada transportation customers. See Program Standard Terms and Conditions for more information.
What Are Carbon Offsets?
Carbon offsets lets you contribute to projects in communities across the country such as landfill methane capture and reforestation to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions beyond what you can achieve as an individual.
What is the difference between a carbon offset and carbon offset credits?
Carbon offset and carbon offset credits are often used interchangeably, though mean slightly different things.
CARBON OFFSET
Generally refers to the reduction or capture of GHG emissions that is used to compensate for emissions that occur elsewhere.
CARBON OFFSET CREDIT
A transferable instrument certified by governments or independent certification organizations to represent a unit equivalent amount of emissions reduced.
How Does A Carbon Offset Work?
Because GHGs circulate globally in the atmosphere, a reduction or capture in emissions in one location can balance emissions that occur elsewhere.
Enrolling in Move2ZeroSM provides you the unique opportunity to offset GHG emissions generated from natural gas usage with verified carbon offsets.
You don't have to worry about buying carbon offset credits yourself because we’ll do all the work for you. For $5 per month, Southwest Gas will match carbon offset credits to offset emissions generated from a “block” of natural gas usage supporting projects that make a positive impact on the environment. By participating in this voluntary program, you can choose how much GHG emissions you’d like to offset by selecting how many blocks you would like to purchase.
Once you join the Move2ZeroSM Program, the dollar amount based on the number of blocks you’ve selected to purchase will be added to your bill each month – whether $5, $10, $15 or more. You can change the number of blocks you’d like or cancel at any time. It may take 1-2 billing cycles for any updates to be reflected on your bill.
The offset credits Southwest Gas purchases and retires on your behalf are generated by validated projects that make a positive impact on the environment and create measurable and verifiable GHG emissions reductions. All carbon offset projects will be independently reviewed and registered with established and trustworthy carbon offset registries like the American Carbon Registry or the Climate Action Reserve.
Forestry
Projects focusing on reducing overharvesting for timber or restoring degraded agricultural lands or grasslands to preserve ecosystems and restoring vital wildlife habitats. These types of projects reduce GHG emissions by capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) in a variety of ways as well as maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity. Carbon is absorbed and stored in the trunks, leaves, branches, and roots of trees as well as forest soil and plants that line the forest floor.
Methane Capture/Storage
As organic waste from your trash in landfills and wastewater treatment plants breaks down, it creates methane which is released into the atmosphere. Capturing this methane and reusing it for energy generation or capturing and destroying it reduces or eliminates GHG emissions.
GHG Emission Reductions
Improving industrial processes that create everyday goods from the bristles in your toothbrush to fertilizers to grow our food. By reusing and recycling or collecting and/or destroying harmful substances such as refrigerants, foams, and nitrous oxide prevents them from leaking into the atmosphere to deplete the ozone layer.
Below are the initial carbon offset projects that Southwest Gas is supporting through the Move2Zero Program. We will keep this page updated with additional projects as they are enrolled.
Project Type: Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions reductions and removal from Avoided Conversion of Grasslands and Shrublands to Crop Production
Location: Missouri Coteau, North Dakota
The Prairie Pothole Avoided Conversion of Grasslands and Shrublands (ACR222) project protects vital grasslands and related habitat values, while simultaneously, preserving critical belowground carbon reserves. The project strives to preserve the Prairie Pothole Region which is the most important waterfowl production area in North America and has been the breeding grounds for 50% to 80% of all North America's migratory waterfowl. This project comprises nearly 28,000 acres in central North Dakota.
Project type: GHG reductions associated with installing a landfill gas collection and destruction system
Location: South Jordan, Utah
The Granger South Jordan Landfill Gas Destruction Project (CAR400) captures GHG produced by landfill waste decomposition, gathers the methane as it is emitted, cleans it, and repurposes it to generate electricity. The 200-acre sanitary municipal solid waste landfill in the Salt Lake area has been in operation for 50 years, with the gas collection and control system project in operation since 2005.
Note: The projects from which Southwest Gas purchases carbon offset credits for the Move2Zero Offset Program may change.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a carbon offset, and what does it mean to offset GHG emissions?
A “carbon offset” refers to a reduction in GHG emissions recognized from one source that is used to counteract or offset GHG emissions created elsewhere. The offsets are created by projects such as reforestation or capturing escaped gasses at a landfill, among others. By participating in the Move2ZeroSM Program, you can offset your natural gas combustion related GHG emissions by electing to participate in the Program for purchasing offsets created by projects that reduce or remove GHG emissions from the atmosphere.
What types of activities can produce GHG emissions and how much GHG emissions does a typical home produce?
Everyday activities such as heating your home or business, driving your car, or using electricity can produce GHG emissions. Below is a table showing estimated GHG emissions for a typical Nevada single-residential customer based on average residential use per month:
|
Rate Jurisdiction
|
Annual Average Single-Family Residential Customer Usage
(therms per month)
|
Estimated Annual GHG Emissions (metric tons of CO2)[1]
|
Estimated Equivalent Annual GHG Emissions from miles driven by an average gasoline-powered vehicle (miles)
|
|
Southern Nevada
|
40
|
2.5
|
6,304
|
|
Northern Nevada
|
60
|
3.8
|
9,456
|
[1] Represents GHG emissions released when natural gas is burned as a fuel, not natural gas released to atmosphere. Emissions and equivalencies calculated using the Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator at: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator.
How do I determine my natural gas usage?
You can locate your monthly usage (in therms) on your paper bill or in MyAccount. Visit How to Read Your Bill or MyAccount for more information.
How many blocks should I purchase to offset GHG emissions from my natural gas usage?
While the typical monthly gas usage for a single-family residential home in Nevada can range from approximately 40-60 therms per month, you can elect to purchase more or less blocks than what may be needed to offset your natural gas usage.
By way of example, if one block can offset the equivalent of 20 therms of combustion related GHG emissions, to offset your total monthly natural gas usage of 40 therms, you would purchase 2 blocks per month at a cost of $10 added to your bill. You can also mitigate your carbon footprint above and beyond your natural gas usage by purchasing more blocks than equate to your natural gas usage.
How do I sign up?
The Move2ZeroSM Program is voluntary. To sign up for the Program, simply visit our website swgmove2zero.com or call our Customer Solutions team at
877-860-6020
. When you choose to participate, we’ll purchase carbon offset credits on your behalf in the number of blocks of your choosing. The amount you choose will be added to your natural gas bill every month. You can update your block selection or cancel at any time by completing the online form swgmove2zero.com or calling Customer Solutions. Changes may take up to two billing cycles to be reflected on your bill.
Who pays for the Move2Zero℠ Program and does Southwest Gas profit from this Program?
Only participating customers pay for the Program. Payments received from customers for the Program will be used to fund the purchase of offset credits and Program administration. Southwest Gas does not profit from customer participation in the Move2ZeroSM Program.
How do I know whether my participation in the Move2Zero℠ Program actually offsets GHG emissions?
Southwest Gas will purchase carbon offset credits sourced from independently validated projects that have been registered with nationally recognized registries such as the American Carbon Registry, Climate Action Reserve, Verra, and The Gold Standard Registry. Southwest Gas will provide information on our website listing the projects from which the carbon offset credits are created.
What if I want to change how many blocks I sign-up for? Or if I move?
You can adjust your block number selection by filling out the online form or contacting our Customer Solutions center. When you move, you can update your service address using the online form swgmove2zero.com or by contacting the Customer Solutions at
877-860-6020
.
What happens if I miss a payment for the Move2Zero℠ Program charge on my Southwest Gas bill?
You will not be assessed late payment charges for non-payment of the Move2ZeroSM Program portion of your bill. You will be automatically removed from the Program after non-payment over three billing cycles
How can I purchase more blocks than what's displayed on the sign-up form?
Please contact Customer Solutions at 877-860-6020 or your Key Account Representative (for business customers)
click here.
