In brief
On Oct. 27, President Trump announced a rollback of Biden‑era methane regulations at a campaign rally in Texas, citing cost savings and a boost to domestic energy production amid high fuel prices and the upcoming midterm elections. He claimed the change would save $45 billion for consumers and producers and unlock additional oil output, though details remain to be confirmed by other U.S. officials. The policy, described by the administration as a move to ease energy bills, will relax requirements such as identifying major methane leaks and routine flaring.
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration would roll back regulations aimed at curbing methane emissions from oil and gas operations, saying the move would cut costs and boost domestic energy production.
Let. Trump delivered his announcement at a campaign rally in Texas; one report specifies the location as Lubbock, while another cites a generic Texas rally, a detail that remains unconfirmed.
He said the rollback would "save consumers and energy producers 45 billion dollars," a figure stated in his speech, but confirmation from the Environmental Protection Agency or other officials is not yet available.
In the same address, Trump promised that the change would "unlock vast quantities of Texas natural gas" and allow the production of an additional 210 million barrels of oil, claims that have not yet been corroborated by independent estimates.
The legislative change the administration plans to implement 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, according to a statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The move comes amid rising fuel prices linked to tensions with Iran and ahead of the 3 November midterm elections, as the administration frames the rollback as a way to lower energy bills for consumers.
"Tonight, I'm officially terminating Biden's expensive and unnecessary methane regulations to save consumers and energy producers 45 billion dollars," Trump said.
The policy is part of the U.S.'s broader strategy to maintain its position as the world's leading emitter of methane from the oil and gas sector, a status that the administration hopes to keep while reducing what it calls "Biden‑era" regulatory burdens.
