U.S. imposes first-ever methane fee on oil companies as Trump pledges repeal
The Environmental Protection Agency has implemented a historic fee on methane emissions from oil and gas companies, even as President-elect Donald Trump plans to dismantle the rule upon taking office.
Maxine Joselow reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- The EPA announced the methane fee at the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan, aiming to highlight U.S. commitment to addressing global warming.
- Starting in 2024, oil and gas companies will pay $900 per metric ton of methane, with the fee rising to $1,500 by 2026, to curb emissions from fossil fuel infrastructure.
- Trump, in line with his past opposition, plans to repeal the rule, while oil industry groups label it a punitive measure against domestic energy production.
Key quote:
“The sound you hear is the ticking clock. We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And time is not on our side.”
— António Guterres, U.N. Secretary-General speaking at COP29
Why this matters:
Methane has a powerful warming effect, trapping heat 80 times more effectively than carbon dioxide over the short term. Regulating methane from oil and gas infrastructure, a major source of U.S. emissions, is essential for meeting global climate targets and slowing temperature rise.
