EPA methane rule takes cues from oil and gas industry

By Jean Chemnick | 05/07/2024 06:37 AM EDT

The new reporting standards will shape which fossil fuel operations trigger an upcoming fee on excess methane.

A flare to burn methane from oil production is seen on a well pad near Watford City, North Dakota, Aug. 26, 2021.

A flare to burn methane from oil production is seen on a well pad near Watford City, North Dakota, in 2021. Matthew Brown/AP

EPA tweaked its methane reporting rule in response to oil and gas industry concerns, including putting more guardrails on third-party data and narrowing the threshold for a “large release event.”

But so far, the final regulation — released Monday — hasn’t won industry approval.

EPA’s revision to how oil and gas operations tally and report their emissions was mandated in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The rule will shape which companies trigger annual reporting requirements — and how many of those will pay an upcoming fee on excess methane.

Advertisement

The American Petroleum Institute, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and other trade associations blasted EPA’s proposed rule last year, accusing the agency of relying on “flawed” methodologies and assumptions that would inflate their emissions.

GET FULL ACCESS