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Regulation of Oil and Gas Sector Methane Emissions

MCLI Recommendation: “EPA could consider adoption of new methane regulations for existing oil and gas facilities.”

LPDD Recommendation: “State legislatures or environmental agencies can consider adopting regulations to cost effectively control venting, flaring, and leaks from well sites.”

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19 resources

Resource States and State Governments

RMI report, State Energy Policy in a Land of New Federal Opportunity

The Rocky Mountain Institute offers this 2024 guide to new and expanded federal funding programs, and highlights opportunities for states to pass and pay for clean energy policies. The report highligh...
Example States and State Governments

Colorado’s Midstream Oil and Gas Emissions Regulations

In December, 2024, the Colorado Air Control Commission adopted a new rule addressing greenhouse gas emissions from midstream fuel combustion equipment such as engines, turbines, and heaters. Fuel comb...
Resource Congress

The Inflation Reduction Act

New: The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and Environmental Defense Fund are announcing the launch of an additional resource on the Inflation Reduction Act Tracker website: the IRA litigation case ...
Example States and State Governments

California Oil and Gas Sector Methane Emissions Regulation

California’s methane regulations are designed to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas production, processing, storage, and transmission compressor stations. The regulation requires oil and gas pr...
Example States and State Governments

Wyoming Regulation of Oil and Gas Sector Methane Emissions

Wyoming updated its standards in 2019 to require oil and gas companies to check new facilities regularly for emissions of smog and methane.
Example States and State Governments

New Mexico Methane Venting and Flaring Rules

In March 2020, New Mexico banned routine venting and flaring of methane from oil and gas production facilities. The first phase of implementation will include data collection and reporting to identify...
Example States and State Governments

Maryland Proposed Methane Leak Regulations

In August 2020, The Maryland Dept. of Environment proposed regulations to reduce methane emissions from energy infrastructure and operations. The proposed regulation will establish requirements to red...
Resource Congress

Report, Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Management in the Oil and Gas Sector

Report, Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Management in the Oil and Gas Sector. The UN Economic Commission for Europe and the Global Methane Initiative published a 2019 report offering guid...
Example States and State Governments

Colorado Regulations on Oil and Gas Sector Methane Emissions

Colorado first adopted methane emissions regulations for the oil and gas sector in 2014. Colorado’s regulations require oil and gas companies to find and fix methane leaks, and, where necessary, insta...
Example States and State Governments

North Dakota Regulation of Oil and Gas Sector Methane Emissions

North Dakota bans the venting of natural gas and requires that vented gas be burned through a flare with the estimated volume flared reported to the director of the oil and gas division at the North D...
Resource Executive Branch

EPA Technical Reports on Methane Emissions Reduction from Oil and Gas Sector

In 2014, EPA released five technical reports outlining strategies to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. They included volumes on compressors, fracking wells, leaks, liquids ...
Resource Executive Branch

BLM’s Proposed Methane Rules from Oil and Gas Sites

In November 2022, the Bureau of Land Management released draft rules to stem the release of methane from oil and gas drilling on public lands. The proposed rules would mandate that operators maintain ...
Resource Executive Branch

Report, Climate Reregulation in a Biden Administration

This August 2020 report from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law charts a course for executive action that, under a new presidential administration, would reverse the deregulatory agenda of the Tr...
Resource Congress

Proposed CLEAN Future Act (2020)

The proposed Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act (2020) is a large, economy-wide climate bill released by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Among ...
Resource Congress

Proposed Super Pollutants Act (2019)

This proposed 2019 legislation would reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) in the atmosphere by enabling federal agencies to set up a taskforce with businesses and non-profits to speed the ado...
Example States and State Governments

Colorado HB 1238 (2021)

The bill updates the methods used to determine the cost-effectiveness of demand-side management (DSM) programs of public utilities selling natural gas at retail, including requiring that the calculati...
Example Executive Branch

EPA’s Regulation for Oil and Gas Sector Methane Emissions

In December, 2023, EPA issued a final rule to reduce emissions of methane and other harmful air pollution from oil and natural gas operations — including, for the first time, from existing sources nat...
Example States and State Governments

Colorado SB 181

Colorado’s SB 181 (2019) requires that the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission revisit its existing rules and consider stricter requirements with respect to leak detection and repair, pipeline inspect...
Example States and State Governments

Ohio’s Fugitive Emissions Regulations

Ohio’s fugitive emissions regulations require operators to test and monitor for any fugitive emissions taking place at a well site on a quarterly basis, develop a leak detection and repair program, an...