{"id":25159,"date":"2026-08-12T13:27:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=25159"},"modified":"2026-08-12T13:27:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:27:27","slug":"pennsylvania-steps-up-to-address-methane-pollution-here-is-what-is-at-stake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2026\/08\/12\/pennsylvania-steps-up-to-address-methane-pollution-here-is-what-is-at-stake\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania steps up to address methane pollution. Here is what is at stake.\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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By John Rutecki<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Governor\u2019s updated Regulatory Agenda<\/a>, published in the July 25, 2026 Pennsylvania Bulletin<\/a>, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection proposed two rulemakings to regulate methane emissions from new and existing sources at conventional and unconventional oil and gas well sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– B-roll footage of oil and gas industry presence and impact on local communities in Pennsylvania<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then at the August 6, 2026, Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee<\/a> meeting, DEP outlined their approach and proposed to submit draft rules utilizing their authority under the Air Pollution Control Act to the Environmental Quality Board in 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governor Shapiro\u2019s administration listened to overwhelming public support for durable methane protections while considering permit updates last summer.\u00a0 They took the important next step for Pennsylvania, directing the Commonwealth to move forward with rules that cut methane pollution from oil and gas, modeled on federal existing source standards known as OOOOc. That is leadership. The significance of these rules should not be overlooked. The nation\u2019s second-largest natural gas producer is now moving forward with comprehensive regulations to reduce methane. As Washington retreats from federal methane protections, Pennsylvania is moving forward, and the Governor deserves our thanks for this leadership.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Governor Josh Shapiro and John Rutecki, Regulatory and Legislative Manager, Appalachia, EDF at Pennsylvania’s 300th well plugging event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now the task remains to get it right, because a methane rule only delivers if it covers every source of the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pennsylvania has long been at the center of America’s energy economy. What we do here doesn’t just affect our own communities. It shapes markets, jobs, and energy policy across the country. That’s why the conversation around methane emissions matters so much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is united agreement on the need to reduce methane emissions through a state rulemaking<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Industry groups, policymakers, and advocates all acknowledge that methane is both a valuable energy resource and a pollutant that should be addressed. In an April 21, 2026, House Natural Resources methane hearing<\/a>, stakeholders agreed that Pennsylvania should do so through a state rulemaking<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s an important place to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question facing Pennsylvania is no longer whether to act, but whether the eventual rules will reflect the full environmental, economic and scientific picture \u2013 or leave significant sources of pollution unaddressed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Methane is the primary component of natural gas, and the very product Pennsylvania produces more of than any state except Texas. When methane leaks, it isn’t just pollution. It’s wasted energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023 alone, Pennsylvania’s oil and gas sector emitted: <\/p>\n\n\n\n