EPA Proposes Ending Greenhouse Gas Reporting for 8,000 Facilities

The United States Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule on September 12, 2025, to terminate the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, which requires approximately 8,000 major polluters—including power plants, oil refineries, and industrial facilities—to report annual emissions. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin characterized the program as "bureaucratic red tape" and estimated that the move would save American businesses up to $2.4 billion in regulatory costs over ten years.

The proposal aligns with executive orders from President Donald Trump and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, both aimed at reducing barriers to fossil fuel production. While the EPA determined that the Clean Air Act does not legally compel this reporting, certain methane emissions data from oil and gas operations subject to waste emissions charges would remain. However, the agency proposed delaying that specific implementation until 2034.

Environmental advocates and former officials criticized the rollback, arguing it removes critical transparency and "blinds Americans to the facts about climate pollution." Critics from the Natural Resources Defense Council claimed the proposal violates the law to grant polluters secrecy. The American Petroleum Institute stated the industry remains committed to transparent reporting. The EPA has initiated a public comment period before the rule is finalized.