Taking direct aim at the oil-and-gas industry, President Obama on Wednesday put forth long-awaited regulations on methane emissions, setting an ambitious goal of reducing those emissions by 45 percent over the next decade.
Methane, the main component of natural gas, accelerates climate change even more than carbon dioxide, administration officials said Wednesday.
"The U.S. is now the largest oil-and-gas producer in the world, providing an abundant source of energy to power and eat American homes and businesses," White House energy and climate change advisor Dan Utech told reportersWednesday morning. "At the same time, methane … is a potent greenhouse gas with 25 times the heat-trapping potential of carbon dioxide."
Even though methane emissions are down 16 percent since 1990, the White House says they might rise over the next 10 years unless dramatic actions are taken. Under the plan laid out by the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, the oil-and-gas sector reduce methane emissions by 40 to 45 percent by 2025.
"This strategy will benefit the climate, the economy and public health," Mr. Utech said.
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