Texas sues Biden administration over EPA’s methane emissions rule

Texas sued the Biden administration on Friday over a rule finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency earlier in the day. 

The Texas Railroad Commission, which is the state’s primary oil and gas regulator, requested in January that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) take legal action against the rule. Paxton responded on Friday with a complaint against the rule after it was finalized by the federal agency, The Hill reported. 

The EPA rule was first announced in 2023, and includes additional requirements for practices like flaring and plugging leaks. The federal agency estimates that it could cut methane emissions by a maximum of 58 million tons by 2038. Methane is more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere, despite dissipating from the atmosphere faster than carbon dioxide. 

The Texas Railroad Commission said the rule is “extremely unreasonable, and time-consuming, given that there have been vast improvements with reduced methane emissions in the state.”  

“The new rules will create an undue burden on regulators as well as the oil and gas industry, by forcing further emission reductions in remote, unmanned locations,” the commission added. 

The EPA told The Hill that it doesn’t comment on pending litigation.