CO2 is an irrelevant measurement, what matters is CO2e (CO2-equivalent, i.e. what's the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted, measured in the amount of CO2 needed to match their warming potential).

Gas emits a relatively low amount of CO2, but a much higher amount of methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas (easily 10x of CO2, 50x as much depending on how exactly you measure it (e.g. methane has a shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2)). Measuring only CO2 here is pointless.

But, natural gas is also a sub product of most oil wells. If you don't use it, it is going to be vented or flared anyway. So, it is better to use it, than not using it right now.

so from a global warming perspective, as caused by the greenhouse effect, you are in favor of coal electricity generation of natural gas as the path of least harm? Or are you just arguing semantics?

> but a much higher amount of methane

Err... no.

Natural gas is methane, to a good first approximation, but if your plant is emitting methane, it means your plant is not operating efficiently. Natural gas power plants burn methane, producing CO2 and water.

Edit: if you're talking about production leaks, coal mines emit methane, too, and there's not even a token amount of effort to stop it, nor any incentive to do so. With gas production, every cubic meter that leaks is a cubic meter you don't get to sell.

CO2 is technically not a pollutant though. If I was living close to a power plant it would be the last thing I’d be concerned with.