By Gavin Bade, Utility Dive.
Dive Brief:
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday finalized rules to limit methane emissions from new and heavily modified oil and gas facilities, as well as initiating a rulemaking process for existing facilities.
- The rules are part of a push from the Obama administration to cut methane emissions 40-45% from 2012 levels by 2025. Methane is a greenhouse gas with global warming potential over 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the EPA.
- The regulations will not affect most electric utilities directly, though some have invested in natural gas production and transport. They are likely to have an impact on the price of natural gas, the nation's single largest generation fuel.