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In mid-March, the administration of US President Donald Trump  plans to roll back regulations targeting fugitive methane, a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG). The announcement followed congressional action to block the implementation of a planned tax on methane emissions, which would have worked in parallel with federal methane regulations. Despite these developments, major players in the US energy sector have said they plan to continue their efforts to monitor, measure and reduce fugitive methane emissions across oil and natural gas supply chains. 

In one example of this, The Partnership for Addressing Global Emissions 鈥� which includes EQT Corporation, the largest US natural gas producer, and Williams, owner of the nation鈥檚 largest gas pipeline system by volume 鈥� its members 鈥渁re committed to continuing to drive down their emissions.鈥� Similarly, the Natural Gas Innovation Network 鈥� which includes both upstream producers and large US utility companies that consume natural gas, such as Xcel Energy and Southern Co. 鈥� has its support for 鈥渆nhancing the transparency of the natural gas value chain, fostering technological innovation and reducing emissions.鈥�

To some, these pronouncements may seem counterintuitive, given the change in direction signaled by the Trump administration on methane. However, upon closer examination, there are many other drivers for capturing fugitive methane emissions and bringing more natural gas to market besides federal regulations 鈥� and reason to expect bipartisan cooperation in this area of energy and environmental policy over the coming years.

That was our primary finding after convening more than 250 energy and environmental professionals on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines for two days last month to discuss the future of methane policy, industry practices to limit natural gas waste and the needs of consumers in the US and abroad. The participants at the two-day symposium represented a wide range of stakeholders and decision-makers, including US energy producers, environmental organizations, academic institutions, energy importing and exporting nations from Europe and Asia, Tribal Nations, state environmental regulators and officials from the federal government.

Other major findings from the event, which was held under the Chatham House Rule, included:

• Natural gas and methane are one and the same. Therefore, by minimizing the loss of natural gas through fugitive methane emissions, producers are maximizing the amount of energy available to meet domestic and international demand 鈥� or practicing energy addition. Furthermore, methane capture technologies can deliver operational efficiency gains at upstream facilities that increase oil production as well as natural gas production.   

• Energy addition through the capture of fugitive methane emissions has a triple-bottom-line benefit: Producers have more natural gas to sell, a larger supply of energy puts downward pressure on prices and concentrations of methane 鈥� a powerful GHG 鈥� are reduced in the atmosphere. 

• With increased capture of fugitive methane emissions, the US can bolster its position as the world鈥檚 dominant oil and natural gas producer, producing gas that is reliable, affordable and low in emissions. This yields further economic benefits for American workers and businesses and delivers geopolitical benefits for America and its international allies. 
   
  
• Many large customers of the North American oil and natural gas industry are demanding action on fugitive methane emissions, particularly in Asia and Europe. In the place of federal methane standards, the US government can work with private sector entities, universities, states and other stakeholders to provide high-quality data on the environmental attributes of US natural gas relative to other global sources 鈥� especially exporting nations with less efficient and more emissions-intensive energy sectors. 

• Ground-level monitors, aircraft and drone surveys, satellite sensors and other technologies to detect, quantify and reduce fugitive methane emissions from oil and natural gas supply chains are rapidly advancing. Scientific research at universities continues to play a leading role in advancing these technologies and building trust in the data they produce. 
   
  For example: In 2023, The Colorado School of Mines partnered with the University of Texas at Austin and Colorado State University to create the Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab, a joint research initiative to develop models, datasets and other measurement tools based on transparent, peer-reviewed scientific research. 
   
  
• Tribal Nations are recognized leaders in methane capture, and their continued engagement is critical, with Native American reservations holding an estimated 20% of US oil and natural gas reserves.  

• State-level actions in the public and private sector, which have heavily influenced US and international actions on methane capture, will continue to increase energy supplies, reduce emissions and provide practical examples for all stakeholders to learn from and tailor to their unique circumstances. 

  For example: Regulators and energy producers in Colorado, the first state to directly target fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas, have more than a decade of operational experience in this area 鈥� including the use of advanced measurement technologies. 
   
  

• Boosting natural gas production through methane capture is supporting growth in the oil-field services sector, providing new career opportunities for oilfield workers and generating value for investors in the energy sector. Job creation and capital flows tied to methane detection, quantification and reduction can be found across large energy companies, small businesses and technology start-ups. 

In Summary

Methane detection, quantification and reduction efforts directly increase energy supplies in US and global markets, put downward pressure on consumer prices, enhance geopolitical stability and reduce emissions of a powerful GHG. For these interconnected reasons, there is strong potential for bipartisan cooperation, multistakeholder collaboration and international engagement on this subject going forward.

Morgan Bazilian is the director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines and a former lead energy specialist at the World Bank. Greg Clough is the institute鈥檚 deputy director, and Simon Lomax is the director of the institute鈥檚 Accelerated Methane Reduction Initiative. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors.