EPA hits oil companies with methane fee — for now

Driving the news: Fees cover large emitters whose infrastructure — think wells, compressors, and more — release methane above certain limits.

• Emissions cuts through 2035 are akin to taking 8 million cars off the roads for a year, EPA estimates.

How it works: They begin at $900 per metric ton and rise annually to $1,500 in 2026.

• Fees apply to sites that emit more than 25,000 metric tons annually.
• Sites already in compliance with separate EPA methane emissions rules can avoid charges.

Friction point: Some oil industry officials and Capitol Hill Republicans oppose the fees.

• They could become a target in negotiations over expiring Trump-era tax credits.
• Trump's EPA could walk them back and look to replace them with something more lenient, even if the law and its fee levels don't change.

The bottom line: The rule is final — but still written in pencil.