US Proposes Major Rollback of Methane Emissions Rules for Oil and Gas Sector

The Trump administration has proposed a sharp reduction in federal methane regulations for the oil and gas industry.

The move targets rules finalized in 2023 under the Biden administration. Those regulations aimed to limit methane pollution from drilling sites across the United States. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. It traps heat approximately 80 times more effectively than carbon dioxide over a twenty-year span.

President Trump announced the revision on Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas. He stated that the change, made under the Clean Air Act, would save the industry billions of dollars. He also said it would encourage more domestic drilling. This timing coincides with Republican efforts to address voter concerns over high gas prices ahead of the midterm elections.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the proposal as support for the sector's workforce. In a press release, he said, "Behind every barrel of oil and every cubic foot of natural gas produced in the U.S. are millions of workers, businesses, and the heartbeat of this nation's economy. The Biden EPA destructively targeted all this."

Industry leaders welcomed the shift. Dustin Meyer, a vice president at the American Petroleum Institute, said the group looks forward to working on "a more workable approach that supports American energy production, provides greater regulatory certainty and advances continued emissions reductions." The industry had strongly opposed the 2023 rules, citing compliance difficulties.

Environmental groups argue the rollback could increase costs. Jon Goldstein, an associate vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, noted that methane is the main component of natural gas. He said capturing leaked or flared gas creates more product to sell, which offsets costs. He added that wasted gas harms energy security and reduces royalty and tax revenue for taxpayers.

The proposal seeks to eliminate the Methane Super Emitter Program, which was scheduled to take effect in January 2027. That program would allow the government to delegate monitoring of large leaks to certified third parties, including private and nonprofit satellite operators. Paasha Mahdavi, a political science professor at UC Santa Barbara, said outside help is needed to identify violations. He warned that without the program, it will be harder for authorities to spot major leaks because the gas is invisible and difficult to detect. The changes would also relax rules on low-volume marginal wells. Goldstein said older wells nearing the end of their production life are responsible for "the lion's share of methane pollution" from the production sector. The EPA will hold a public comment period of at least 45 days, including a public hearing, once the changes are published in the Federal Register.