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A group of 23 states led by Republicans is suing the Biden administration over its implementation of a tax on excess methane emissions imposed on the oil and gas industry.
The fees were signed into law in 2022 as part of Democrats’ expansive climate, tax and health care bill.
The law aims to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by charging producers for methane emissions while providing financing to help them reduce their emissions.
The demand, led by Texasgoes after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fee implementation regulation.
The lawsuit says the EPA rule “exceeds the agency’s statutory authority and is otherwise arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and not in accordance with law.”
“Over the past four years I have stood up to the Biden administration more than 100 times to stop their radical attempts to undermine the law. I am confident that this last-minute effort to damage the energy industry will also be stopped.” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said in a written statement.
“In just four days, when President-elect Trump takes office, America will no longer be burdened by a runaway bureaucracy intent on destroying our freedoms,” he added.
The EPA estimates that the program will prevent a total of 1.2 million metric tons of methane from entering the atmosphere, with climate gains equivalent to removing nearly 8 million gas-guzzling cars for a year.
Republican lawmakers have also indicated they will try to overturn the policy through legislation, as they now control both the House and Senate and will take control of the White House next week.
