Drillers Would Face First-Time Methane Fee Under Biden Deal

  • Oil, gas sector would be required to pay $1,500 a ton by 2025
  • Plan still subject to change; opponents warn of higher bills

Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

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Oil and gas companies would be forced to pay for excess methane leaking from wells, storage sites and pipelines under a draft of President Joe Biden’s climate-and-social-spending plan.

Under the measure released Thursday, fees of as much as $1,500 per ton would be imposed on an array of oil and gas infrastructure -- from wells and pipelines to the terminals that process natural gas for export around the globe.