New oil industry fees spark debate as Trump prepares for White House return
Biden team sets up last-minute methane rules for big oil companies just before leaving office. New fees target greenhouse gas leaks but might not survive past next years political shift
The Biden administrationʼs final push for climate action is happening right now - theyʼve just rolled-out new methane rules at the UN climate meeting in Baku
The fresh-made policy hits big-time oil producers where it hurts: their wallets. Starting next month companies will pay $900 for each ton of excess methane (thats going up to $1500 in about two years) if they emit more than 25‚000 tons yearly
Michael Regan from EPA says this is part of their work to make oil companies more eco-friendly and keep Americas spot as a climate leader; however the rules might not stick around long. The soon-to-be Trump White House and its oil-industry friends dont like these kinds of fees
Hereʼs what the new rules can do:
- Cut down methane leaks from drilling spots
- Make companies fix their broken pipes faster
- Help reach global climate promises
- Push companies to use better leak-finding tech
The EPA thinks these changes could stop as much methane as taking 8 million cars off roads would do through early-2030s. But Donald Trump and his team are already planning to throw these rules out when they take over the White House
The timing isnt random - this comes right as 100+ countries work on their promise to cut methane by 30% before the decades end. Even China and the U.S made some deals about it
