Fedorchak votes to overturn punitive natural gas tax on North Dakota’s energy producers
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) voted in support of H.J. Res. 35, a resolution she cosponsored to overturn the Biden administration’s costly new methane emissions tax on petroleum and natural gas producers. The rule, finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in November 2024, imposes a per-ton tax on methane emissions from petroleum and natural gas systems, creating uncertainty for producers and discouraging investment in domestic energy infrastructure.
“North Dakota is a leader in responsible energy production, and our producers have made tremendous strides in reducing emissions while keeping energy affordable,” Fedorchak said. “This heavy-handed tax will punish small and mid-size independent producers who are responsible for 90 percent of America’s natural gas. It puts North Dakota jobs at risk, raises costs on families, and makes us more dependent on foreign adversaries.”
The rule would impose a "waste emissions charge" that disproportionately harms North Dakota’s energy producers, raises costs, and threatens America’s energy independence. North Dakota officials estimated that a similar rule would cost the state approximately $38 million annually in lost revenue from reduced royalties and oil and gas taxes.
“This tax hurts energy producers who are already doing it right. American energy is the cleanest in the world, and we’re leading the way in emissions reductions through innovation, technology, and free-market principles—not heavy-handed federal mandates. American energy solutions are clean energy solutions, proving that we don’t have to choose between unleashing production and a clean environment—we can have both,” Fedorchak concluded.
H.J. Res. 35 was passed under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to reject federal agency overreach before it can take full effect. Earlier this month, the House passed H.R. 77, the Midnight Rules Act, to overturn multiple last-minute regulations issued by an outgoing administration in a single vote.
ICYMI: Rep. Fedorchak spoke in support of the resolution on the House Floor.
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