On January 14, 2015, the Obama Administration announced the goal of cutting methane emissions by 40–45% from 2012 levels by 2025. The goal would be achieved via a host of proposed and anticipated regulations directed at the oil and gas industry. The most recent announcement concerns plans by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to propose methane regulations for new and modified sources.

The EPA is now expected to issue New Source Performance Standards for methane and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions during the summer of 2015. These standards are expected to apply to new and modified oil and gas production sources, and natural gas processing and transmission sources (the Methane Standards). Final regulations are expected by 2016.