The EPA methane rule rollback is moving forward under the Trump administration, which has unveiled plans to significantly weaken a Biden-era regulation intended to curb methane emissions from oil and gas operations nationwide.
Methane is a powerful heat-trapping gas that warms the planet far more quickly than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. In 2023, the Biden administration finalized rules to cut methane from the oil and gas sector across the country.
President Trump announced the planned changes during a campaign stop in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, saying the revisions, under the Clean Air Act, would save producers billions in costs and encourage more domestic drilling. The move comes as Republicans face voter frustration over high fuel prices ahead of the midterms.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement that oil and gas production supports millions of American jobs and businesses, and argued the Biden administration’s approach had harmed the sector.
Industry groups that pushed back on the 2023 rules welcomed the proposal. Dustin Meyer, a vice president at the American Petroleum Institute, said the sector looks forward to working with the administration on a more workable framework that supports U.S. energy production, offers regulatory certainty, and continues emissions reductions.
Environmental advocates counter that stricter controls help companies capture more product and can reduce waste. Jon Goldstein of the Environmental Defense Fund said capturing methane, which is the primary component of natural gas, can offset compliance costs because it keeps more gas available for sale. He added that wasted gas harms energy security and deprives taxpayers of royalty and tax revenue.
What changes in the EPA methane rule rollback
One target is the Methane Super Emitter Program, set to take effect in January 2027. The program would allow certified third parties, including private and nonprofit satellite operators, to notify the government about large methane leaks from pipelines, refineries, and other facilities.
Because methane is invisible and costly to detect, the program is designed to help authorities spot and address major releases. Paasha Mahdavi, a political science professor at UC Santa Barbara who studies the oil industry, said enabling certified third parties to alert officials helps enforcement.
If the program is eliminated, he said, it will be harder for the government to identify large leaks of the planet-warming gas. The proposal would also relax monitoring and repair requirements for leaks from low-volume “marginal” oil wells.
While often considered minor sources, newer satellite and detection technologies indicate many of these older, end-of-life wells are responsible for a significant share of methane pollution from production sites, according to Goldstein. The EPA said it will hold at least a 45-day public comment period and a public hearing once the proposed revisions are published in the Federal Register.
The move comes as Republicans face voter frustration over high fuel prices ahead the midterms and broader debates about climate impacts and costs, including Black voters climate change views tied to rising costs.
One Response