Trump moves to scrap methane rules for oil and gas drillers

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is ending the federal rules designed to limit methane leaks from oil and gas drilling. The decision reverses a major climate policy enacted under former President Joe Biden, which aimed to reduce one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Trump framed the move as a way to cut costs for energy companies and lower prices for American consumers.

Trump stated that the new policy would save producers and consumers $45 billion in costs. He also claimed the change would unlock 210 million barrels of oil, an amount equivalent to roughly 10 days of U.S. petroleum consumption. The administration argues that the previous regulations burdened small operators and slowed domestic energy production.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin previewed the changes in September. He said the agency would eliminate the Super Emitter Program, which required companies to investigate and repair major methane releases. Zeldin also noted that the new standards would be less restrictive for small oil and gas wells. He maintained that the Biden rule would have cost the industry $18 billion.

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 a third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Oil and gas operations are the largest industrial source of this gas, which often leaks from equipment or is burned off as a waste product during drilling.

The Biden rule, finalized in 2024, was projected to prevent 58 million tons of methane emissions by 2038. It also aimed to reduce other pollutants that cause health problems. Unlike previous regulations that only covered new wells, the Biden policy regulated existing wells. Operators were required to plug leaks from smaller wells that produce 6% of the nation's oil and gas but account for up to half of all methane emissions from these fields.

Environmental groups argue the rollback allows companies to continue releasing gas that could be captured and used for energy. Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, said the move gives companies a free pass at the expense of American consumers. He stated that the EPA should be fighting this waste, not making it easier.

The rule was originally coordinated with a methane fee approved in the 2022 climate law. That fee program would have charged energy producers up to $1,500 per metric ton of methane if they exceeded specific emission levels. Congress repealed the fee weeks after Trump took office in 2025.