Statement: New Mexico proposes to strengthen methane rules and enhance super emitter program

SANTA FE, N.M. — Yesterday, the New Mexico Environment Department proposed a new methane abatement rule that would strengthen the state’s response to oil and gas methane pollution through two key measures: establishing a super-emitter response program that allows certified third parties to report major methane events detected with approved technologies and requiring zero methane emissions from natural gas-driven pneumatic controllers beginning in 2031.  

"New Mexico is standing against the Trump administration’s reckless attack on our health and standing up for state climate action," said Nini Gu, Senior Regulatory & Legislative Manager at Environmental Defense Fund. "By advancing this new methane rule, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham builds on New Mexico’s methane leadership and reinforces her legacy as a national leader in cutting oil and gas methane waste and pollution.” 

The process controller standard would help close an important gap by moving covered facilities beyond the partial non-emitting requirements under current state rules toward a full zero-methane-emission standard. 

The proposed super emitter response program would be significantly stronger than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s federal program. NMED has proposed setting the threshold for a super emitter event at 50 kg/hr – 50% more stringent than EPA’s threshold – and would allow certified third parties to detect and report methane emissions with satellites, aircraft, and other approved remote sensing technologies.  

The proposal shows how better methane data can lead to stronger action. New Mexico is creating a pathway for major methane events to trigger investigation and repair, turning advanced detection into accountability for pollution and waste.  

Better methane data also helps track results: since the state began implementing methane rules in 2021, MethaneSAT observations have shown that New Mexico’s methane emission rate in a portion of the Permian Basis was less than half of neighboring Texas. That progress suggests stronger standards are helping reduce pollution, prevent wasted natural gas and protect taxpayer revenue. Over the same period, New Mexico captured about $125 million worth of natural gas in the region, generating approximately $27 million in additional tax and royalty revenue.