Methane Matters: Reducing emissions in the oil and gas sector

The combination of new regulatory measures and the availability of advanced detection technologies has created momentum to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. The Biden Administration is requiring oil and natural gas companies to measure, report, and reduce methane emissions through five separate rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA). As these federal methane rules are developed, there is an opportunity to consider how they can be designed to work together effectively and how they can collectively create incentives to reduce emissions to the greatest degree. The Environmental & Energy Law Program at Harvard Law School is collaborating with stakeholders to help identify regulatory options that deploy advanced technologies and cut emissions. This video visually illustrates methane rulemakings and the technology drivers behind methane reduction efforts in the U.S.