Climate & Environment

Trump Announces Plan to Repeal Biden‑Era Methane Rule, Claims $45 Billion Savings

By Livemint

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration will "terminate" a Biden‑era rule aimed at reducing methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. Speaking at a campaign rally in Texas while supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, Trump said the change would save companies and consumers billions of dollars and unlock 210 million barrels of oil, roughly ten days of U.S. petroleum consumption, according to the Associated Press. He described the Biden rule as "crushing the small operators" with "crippling regulations" and said the termination would "save consumers and energy producers $45 billion in costs." The proposal, still in draft form, would also relax rules on marginal wells, the Super Emitter Program and routine flaring of associated gas, and would allow more domestic drilling. Trump framed the move as a way to lower energy costs ahead of next week’s midterm elections.

The Biden rule, announced in 2023 at a U.N. climate conference, was designed to cut an estimated 58 million tons of methane by 2038 and reduce other pollutants. It applied to existing wells and required operators to plug leaks from smaller wells that produce just 6 % of the nation’s oil and gas but account for up to half of all methane emissions from oil and gas fields. The final rule was published in 2024 and included an 18‑month delay to give companies time to meet new inspection requirements. The rule was linked to a methane fee that would have levied up to $1,500 per metric ton of methane on producers exceeding a certain level.

Environmental groups say the rollback will let companies continue to emit methane that could be captured and used for energy. Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, called the changes a "free pass" at the expense of American consumers. Trump’s EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, said the rule would have cost $18 billion and was holding back the U.S. energy industry.

Methane is responsible for about a third of planet‑warming greenhouse gas emissions and is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term. The United States is the world’s largest emitter of methane from its oil and gas sector, followed by Russia, according to the International Energy Agency.