Key facts
- Trump administration is terminating Biden-era regulations on methane emissions.
- The repeal is expected to save $45 billion in costs and unlock 210 million barrels of oil.
- California's second methane-detecting satellite, Tanager-2, has launched.
- California's program has helped stop 50 major methane leaks.
- The federal rollback targets requirements for operators to respond to third-party leak reports.
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the termination of Biden-era regulations that held oil and gas companies accountable for large leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The announcement was made during a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, where Trump claimed the move would save consumers and energy producers $45 billion and unlock vast quantities of natural gas and oil.
Simultaneously, California is bolstering its methane detection capabilities with the launch of Tanager-2, its second methane-detecting satellite. The state's program has identified and helped resolve 50 major methane leaks, preventing pollution equivalent to taking 42,000 vehicles off the road annually. Critics, including California officials, argue that the federal rollback of methane regulations will worsen climate change and harm public health, even as new technologies accurately pinpoint leaks.