Sightful Invest
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock
Top Posts
Trump considers tax hike on Americans making $2.5...
GOP senators: Congress should vote on Trump’s potential...
White House highlights over $2B in savings from...
GOP talk on millionaire tax hike ‘makes no...
Trump’s first vice president urges his old boss...
Department of Justice opens criminal investigation into NY...
Trump claims ‘I don’t know her’ and ‘listened...
Rubio just got an additional job in Trump’s...
OpenAI’s Sam Altman thanks Sen John Fetterman for...
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dead at...
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock

Sightful Invest

Politics

Energy expert weighs in on 23 state attorneys general suing EPA over new methane emissions fee

by admin January 18, 2025
January 18, 2025
Energy expert weighs in on 23 state attorneys general suing EPA over new methane emissions fee

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading 22 other attorneys general in suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over a new rule that would fine the oil and natural gas sector for methane emissions that exceed a certain level. 

The GOP states are alleging the new rule, which was established in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, is ‘arbitrary, capricious, [and] an abuse of discretion.’ The complaint against the EPA is scant on details, other than asserting the new rule is ‘unlawful’ because ‘the final rule exceeds the agency’s statutory authority.’ 

While the Supreme Court has articulated a very narrow authority on how Congress can delegate its legislative power, Steve Milloy, former Trump administration EPA transition adviser and senior fellow at the Energy and Environmental Legal Institute, said it is unclear to him how the EPA’s rule circumvents Congress. 

‘The IRA clearly says EPA is to levy a tax and prescribes the tax rate,’ Milloy told Fox News Digital, pointing to the section of the IRA’s ‘Waste Emissions Charge’ that sets a threshold for methane emissions at 25,000 metric tons. ‘I will be interested to see how the states support their claims.’ 

Nonetheless, Milloy is against the new fee on the oil and gas sector, noting methane is an ‘irrelevant greenhouse gas.’

‘The tax is pointless and will accomplish nothing except to make oil and natural gas more expensive,’ he said.

Milloy suggested the move to sue in the final days of the Biden administration is to start the process for the plaintiffs to settle with the Trump administration. According to him, this is a tactic that has been used by both sides of the green energy debate. He added that in the past, the Trump administration has sought to get rid of ‘sue and settle’ tactics.

‘Congress needs to change the law,’ Milloy said. ‘Because, let’s say that they sue and settle, well, the next administration can come back and undo it.’

Meanwhile, another forthcoming lawsuit from the Michigan Oil and Gas Association (MOGA) and the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AMFree) has also asserted that the new rule circumvents Congress, but provided details explaining why.

‘Under Subpart W, facilities in the natural gas and petroleum supply chains must report greenhouse gas emissions if they emit 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions each year,’ the second lawsuit explains. ‘For gases other than carbon dioxide, ‘equivalent’ emissions are determined by multiplying emissions by the gas’s ‘global warming potential’ (‘GWP’).’ 

Michael Buschbacher, a partner at Boyden Gray PLLC, which is representing MOGA and AmFree in their lawsuit, agreed with Milloy that it will take legislation to reverse the new methane rule, but said the purpose of their legal filings is ‘to get the most onerous mandates off the books, so the American energy industry can begin its march back to dominance under the new administration.’

‘The Biden-era environmental regulations aren’t going to magically vanish at 12:01 on Monday. It’s going to take time and legislation to unwind the mess that he has left behind,’ Buschbacher said.

The EPA declined to comment on the matter, citing the pending nature of the litigation.

Related Topics

  • Environmental Regulation
  • Politics
  • Trump Transition
  • Climate
This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

previous post
RNC chair Whatley vows to be ‘tip of the spear’ to protect Trump after coasting to re-election victory
next post
DOJ sues Walgreens, alleging it ‘knowingly’ filled millions of invalid prescriptions

You may also like

Camp David: Jimmy Carter’s finest moment

December 30, 2024

Here is who is vying for power in...

December 10, 2024

‘Waste less, save more’: DOGE caucus member rolls...

January 14, 2025

Three ways President Biden just helped Kamala Harris...

July 25, 2024

Canada stares down consequences of Trump tariff war:...

April 2, 2025

Trump gets last-minute round of big-name endorsements including...

November 5, 2024

HHS axes more than $300M in gender, DEI-related...

March 28, 2025

Trump says he will buy a Tesla to...

March 11, 2025

Trump set to meet with world leaders in...

February 24, 2025

‘Rot and decay’: Rep Hank Johnson argues SCOTUS...

October 18, 2024

Recent Posts

  • Trump considers tax hike on Americans making $2.5 million or more per year
  • GOP senators: Congress should vote on Trump’s potential Iran nuclear deal
  • White House highlights over $2B in savings from DEI cuts during Trump administration’s first 100 days
  • GOP talk on millionaire tax hike ‘makes no sense,’ Trump White House alum says
  • Trump’s first vice president urges his old boss against raising taxes on wealthy Americans

    Become a VIP member by signing up for our newsletter. Enjoy exclusive content, early access to sales, and special offers just for you! As a VIP, you'll receive personalized updates, loyalty rewards, and invitations to private events. Elevate your experience and join our exclusive community today!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Categories

    • Business (712)
    • Investing (2,058)
    • Politics (2,553)
    • Stock (4)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: sightfulinvest.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 Sightful Invest. All Rights Reserved.