Industry Groups Stand Against The EPA’s Proposed Emissions Rules
The American Petroleum Institute (API) said the proposed rules are “duplicative, costly, and undermine America’s competitiveness.” The API also said that the industry has achieved significant reductions in methane releases.
“The oil and gas industry is leading the charge in reducing methane,” said Jack Gerard, API president and CEO. “The last thing we need is more duplicative and costly regulation that could increase the cost of energy for Americans. Even as oil and natural gas production has surged, methane emissions from hydraulically fractured natural gas wells have fallen nearly 79 percent since 2005, and CO2 emissions are down to 27-year lows. This is due to industry leadership and significant investments in new technologies.”
Barry Russell, president and CEO of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, also criticized the EPA move.
“The administration is proposing a costly and complicated regulatory program for few environmental benefits,” Russell said. “The unnecessary costs and added uncertainty resulting from the administration’s proposals could inflict more pain on the men and women who work in the oil and gas industry—at a time when market forces are already creating economic challenges.”
In the midstream, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) also pointed to major cuts in methane emissions in its reaction to the EPA announcement, saying the gas transmission industry has reduced the number of leaks on gas pipelines by 94% in the last 30 years.
