Trump Moves to End Biden-Era Oil and Gas Methane Rules
President Donald Trump announced at a rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 27, 2026, that his administration is terminating Biden-era methane regulations for oil and gas companies. He described the rules as "expensive and unnecessary."
Trump claimed that ending the regulations would save consumers and energy producers $45 billion and unlock 210 million barrels of oil. According to The Guardian, that amount of oil is equivalent to about 10 days of US petroleum consumption. The event was a midterm political rally and a campaign stop for Paxton.
Methane is a gas that contributes to climate change. Reuters reported that it is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon.
The 2024 methane rule required oil and gas operators to eliminate and minimize leaking, flaring (burning off gas) and venting of methane and volatile organic compounds, a related group of air pollutants. It was the first time the federal government set nationwide requirements to limit methane emissions from existing oil and gas facilities. An earlier rule, finalized under the Obama administration in 2016, applied to new and modified sources.
Under the 2024 rule's super emitter program, companies had to investigate major leaks near their facilities that third parties detected using EPA-approved remote sensing technology, which detects emissions from a distance.
In March 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency was reconsidering the Biden-Harris methane regulations. On October 7, 2026, Zeldin announced that the EPA was days away from unveiling its next oil and gas proposal. The agency said its proposal to rescind the Biden-era methane rule would save $45 billion a year, and that the Biden EPA's oil and gas rule imposed $18 billion in regulatory costs.
Records obtained by Fieldnotes show that industry groups and companies met with the EPA to discuss methane regulations at least 38 times during the administration's first year. The White House has stated that the One, Big, Beautiful Bill repeals the Biden-era methane tax.
The methane announcement follows other moves. In February 2026, the EPA rescinded the 2009 Endangerment Finding, and in September it finalized the repeal of the 2024 power plant regulations.
