India Begins to Examine Curbs on Most Potent Greenhouse Gas

India’s government and the power industry are exploring a possible phase down of what’s considered to be the most potent greenhouse gas, although high costs of alternatives stand in the way of a regulation.

Sulfur hexafluoride gas, or SF6, which is used as an insulator in power transmission equipment, has a warming potential that’s 23,500 times that of carbon dioxide. It’s found in circuit breakers and switchgears, the demand for which is surging due to the government’s push for more electrification.

The stable nature that makes SF6 an excellent insulator also aggravates its impacts on the climate. The gas ...