By Basant El-Faramawy
Former President Donald Trump announced at a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, that his administration will terminate Biden-era regulations requiring oil and gas companies to limit methane leaks from existing facilities. Trump said the move would save consumers and energy producers $45 billion and unlock 210 million barrels of oil, equivalent to about 10 days of U.S. petroleum consumption.
Rally Announcement and EPA Response
Speaking Tuesday evening, Trump described the methane rules as "crippling regulations" that caused prices to skyrocket for small operators. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin issued a press release praising the decision as ending a "war on oil and natural gas" by revising regulations under the Clean Air Act. The EPA estimates the proposal will save $45 billion in costs and produce an additional 210 million barrels of oil and 1.41 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Industry Influence and Regulatory Rollback
The 2024 methane rule was the first federal requirement to limit methane emissions from existing oil and gas facilities nationwide, including a super-emitter program for major leaks detected by third-party remote sensing. Records obtained by the watchdog group Fieldnotes show industry groups and companies met with the EPA at least 38 times during the administration's first year to discuss methane regulations. Fieldnotes researcher Julia Kane said the industry worked behind the scenes to delay and weaken rules despite public statements of cooperation.
Environmental Impact and Criticism
Methane is responsible for at least a quarter of current global warming, and the U.S. emitted more methane from its oil and gas sector than any other country last year. Since the EPA announced it would stop enforcing oil and gas regulations in March 2025, operators have leaked, vented, or flared an estimated $7 billion worth of natural gas, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. The group's senior director Rosalie Winn said the administration is enabling the worst polluters to profit while wasting energy and undermining federal climate authority.
