Trump Announces End to Methane Emission Rules for Oil and Gas

President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that his administration is ending the rules that limit methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. He made the announcement at a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. Trump stated that the action will save energy producers and consumers $45 billion in costs. He also claimed the change will unlock 210 million barrels of oil, which is roughly ten days of U.S. petroleum consumption.

The decision targets a rule established during the Biden administration. That rule aimed to cut methane leaks from both new and existing wells. Methane is the main component of natural gas and is far more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term. Scientists estimate it accounts for about one-third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The gas often leaks from equipment or is burned off as waste by drillers.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin previewed the changes last month. He said the agency would eliminate its Super Emitter Program, which required companies to find and fix major methane leaks. The administration would also set less restrictive standards for small wells. Zeldin argued the rule would have cost the industry $18 billion and held back energy production.

The shift comes as Trump faces criticism over high fuel prices amid the war in Iran. The administration has been rolling back other climate policies from the previous term. These moves include revoking a scientific finding on greenhouse gases, lowering fuel economy standards, and repealing emission restrictions for power plants.

The original rule was announced in 2023 at a U.N. climate conference in the United Arab Emirates. Officials then projected it would prevent 58 million tons of methane emissions by 2038. The rule was designed to capture gas that could have provided energy to households. It also targeted smaller wells that produce only 6% of the nation's oil and gas but account for up to half of all methane emissions from those fields.

Environmental groups criticized the rollback. Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, said the change gives companies a free pass at the expense of American consumers. He argued the EPA should fight waste rather than making it easier to release. The administration rejected the previous approach of calculating the social costs of emissions on public health, a method that had projected $98 billion in benefits by 2034.

The rule was part of a broader strategy that included a methane fee approved in a 2022 climate law. That fee would have charged producers up to $1,500 per metric ton of methane if they exceeded certain limits. Congress repealed that fee weeks after Trump took office. The EPA had previously delayed the rule by 18 months to give companies time to meet inspection requirements.

Trump said Biden’s plan crushed small operators with crippling regulations. He described the new action as terminating expensive and unnecessary regulations. The move marks the first direct end to a major federal limit on methane from existing oil and gas infrastructure since Obama’s earlier efforts were scaled back during Trump’s first term.