In brief
At a campaign rally in Texas, President Trump announced that his administration would roll back methane regulations, citing $45 billion in savings and the potential to unlock Texas natural gas and add 210 million barrels of oil. The move is framed as a way to lower fuel costs amid rising prices linked to tensions with Iran and ahead of the mid‑term elections. The EPA would eliminate a program for identifying major methane leaks, ease low‑producing well rules, and relax flaring restrictions.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration would roll back regulations aimed at curbing methane emissions from oil and gas operations at a campaign rally in Texas, framing the move as a way to cut costs for consumers and producers and boost domestic energy production.
Trump claimed the rollback would save $45 billion to energy producers and consumers and would unlock vast quantities of Texas natural gas, potentially allowing the production of an additional 210 million barrels of oil, according to the Xinhua report.
"Tonight, I'm officially terminating Biden's expensive and unnecessary methane regulations to save consumers and energy producers 45 billion dollars," Trump said at the rally.
The announcement comes amid high fuel prices that have become a political liability for Trump and Republicans ahead of the November 3 mid‑term elections, with the administration citing pressure from the U.S. war in Iran as a contributing factor.
The Environmental Protection Agency noted that the proposed rollback would eliminate a program for identifying and addressing major methane leaks, ease requirements for low‑producing oil and gas wells, and relax restrictions on routine flaring of natural gas at oil wells, making it easier for producers to operate.
Xinhua reported that the United States is the world’s leading emitter of methane from its oil and gas sector, with Texas as the leading fossil‑fuel‑producing state in the country. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is the second‑largest cause of global warming after carbon dioxide.
