Senators Oppose New EU Methane Rule, Citing Possible Harm to US Energy Exports
Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and John Kennedy, R-La., have urged the Trump administration to pressure the EU to repeal a new methane mandate that they say could hurt U.S. oil and gas exports.
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In a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that was publicly released Dec. 22, the senators said the European Union Methane Regulation (EUMR), which is being phased in over five years to counter climate change, will unfairly force American energy producers that export to the EU to reduce their methane emissions.
“The EUMR represents a non-tariff trade barrier that could effectively end U.S. [liquefied natural gas] exports to Europe,” the senators wrote. “This contravenes both European leaders[’] expressed intent, as well as the explicit terms of the recent U.S.-EU trade deal,” which calls for the EU to buy more American energy, including LNG (see 2507280027).
“As you meet with your European counterparts to finalize the trade deal implementation action plan, we ask that this administration use all available legal, diplomatic, and economic tools to ensure that the EUMR is repealed in full,” the letter continues.
The Energy Department and the EU didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the letter.