Congressional budget battle threatens Ohio methane crackdown

Farah Siddiqi

Ohio is stepping up efforts to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas sector, but Congress is attempting to delay a federal methane emissions charge.

The 2026 budget reconciliation bill includes language to postpone or block the enforcement of a Biden-era rule requiring large emitters to either invest in methane-reduction measures or pay a methane fee.

David Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, said seven in 10 Americans support the rule.

"We've been taught our whole lives -- everybody, whether you're on the right or the left -- that you don't waste," he said. "You don't waste food, you don't waste fuel, you don't waste electricity, you can be responsible."

Last October, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected efforts to block the federal methane rule. Despite that, Jenkins said, congressional Republicans have inserted language in the budget bill to override it and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from moving forward with similar future regulations.

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is emitted through various sources, including leaks, venting and flaring. If oil and gas companies aren't willing to spend money to capture and sell the wasted products, Jenkins said, the fee still holds them accountable.

"It just seems to make no sense why politicians, and some bad apples in the oil and gas industry, are pushing against something so basic," he said, "and it does so much good for so little investment."

In Ohio, the EPA is drafting regulations to curb methane at existing oil and gas sites, with a formal plan due by March 2026. The state already mandates leak detection, repair, regular inspections, permits for new equipment and emissions reporting.