Trump Republicans kill a rule that charged Big Oil for methane emissions

The Republican-controlled Congress has voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers who release high levels of methane, a major piece of former President Joe Biden's climate policy. The fee, which had not gone into effect, was expected to bring in billions of dollars and was aimed at controlling the planet-warming gas. The Senate voted 52-47 to repeal the fee, following a similar House vote, and the measure now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. Methane is a stronger global warming gas than carbon dioxide and is to blame for about one-third of the world's warming so far. The fee was part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but the Environmental Protection Agency didn't formally set rules until late last year, making it vulnerable to repeal. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to pass a resolution to undo rules finalized toward the end of a president's term, and if signed by the president, the rule is terminated. The American Petroleum Institute applauded the move, calling the fee a "duplicative, punitive tax on American energy production." Environmental groups criticized the repeal, saying it's a handout to the fossil fuel industry and will hinder efforts to address climate change. The repeal is the latest of several pro-oil and gas moves Republicans have taken since the start of Trump's term, including lifting a pause on new applications for liquified natural gas export terminals and removing the US from the Paris climate agreement. The fee was expected to reduce 1.2 million metric tons of methane emissions by 2035, equivalent to removing 8 million cars from the road for a year.