Trump says hell roll back Biden-era methane rules for oil and gas companies
President Donald Trump said Tuesday his administration plans to ease regulations on methane — a potent greenhouse gas that is the second-biggest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide.Speaking at a midterm rally in Texas, Trump announced the rollback of methane emissions rules for oil and gas producers that the Biden administration finalized in 2024.“Tonight, I’m officially terminating Biden’s expensive and unnecessary methane regulations to save consumers and energy producers,” Trump said, adding that Democrats had “crushed small oil and gas operators” with excessive regulation.He did not provide further details.
The Environmental Protection Agency previewed the changes this month, promising to loosen regulations on methane leaks at lower-production oil wells, among other changes.EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said at the time: “Americans must be able to afford to heat their homes in the winter and fill up their car and drive to work.They can’t do that when the people producing the energy are weighed down by unnecessary burdens.” Trump made the announcement just a week before the midterm elections, in which numerous polls show that high fuel costs are a key issue for many voters.Methane, the main component of natural gas, traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, though it also breaks down more quickly.
Scientists consider methane to be about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years.Methane, which is also released from natural sources like wetlands, is responsible for roughly one-third of all global warming.The Biden administration viewed eliminating methane leaks from oil and gas production as a relatively quick way to drive down emissions.The low-producing wells the rollback would affect (also called stripper wells) produce about 7% to 8% of U.S.
natural gas, but they could account for about 50% of the methane that leaks into the atmosphere, research suggests.Many of those wells are near the end of thei...