EQT Corp. is introducing its first nature-based carbon offset initiative in projects that will span more than 1,000 acres of forest at Oglebay, West Virginia, and other areas, the company said on April 10.

EQT has partnered with Wheeling Park Commission, soil analytics company Teralytic and Climate Smart Environmental Consulting LLC to implement forest management projects that will generate carbon offsets. Wheeling Park owns Oglebay.

Teralytic's soil probe technology will ensure the quantification of the offset is accurate and transparent, EQT said.

The partnership will implement conservation practice standards (CPS) outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and will align to nonprofit Verra’s guidelines to ensure emissions reductions and removals are effective.

EQT said the partnership will supplement its efforts to deliver low-cost, low-carbon, reliable energy. The initiative will reduce or remove emissions of CO2 from the atmosphere to offset other operational emissions and advance EQT's efforts to reach net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by or before 2025, EQT said.

In conjunction with the project, EQT said it also partnered with Wheeling Country Day School to pilot an educational learning program allowing students to learn about soil health by monitoring real-time changes in the health of the soil, 24 hours a day.

"We are excited to take this first step in a partnership with EQT as the center of knowledge for forest improvement and soil health," said Wheeling Park Commission President and CEO Bob Peckenpaugh. "We have served our community for 100 years, and for Oglebay to endure for another 100 years, we have a responsibility to the people of this community and the 2,000 acres we call home to clean up, maintain and improve our natural resources."

EQT said the soil technology provided by Teralytic will empirically measure the impact of the projects on soil health. Teralytic’s probes are automated and take real-time measurements of soil carbon, soil moisture and other vital soil nutrients. EQT said the technology allows the company to generate higher quality carbon offsets at a lower cost than traditional methods.

Rob Wingo, EQT’s executive vice president of corporate ventures, said the company has a long-standing commitment to reducing emissions from operations and already has some of the lowest GHG emissions intensities in the world.

"Nature-based projects like this, which are supported by cutting edge technology that ensures accuracy and transparency, will help offset EQT's remaining emissions and advance our mission to deliver cheaper, more reliable, cleaner energy to the world," Wingo said. 

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