Methane Emissions Mitigation Research and Development Act

HR 752 establishes a federal research program to improve methane leak detection and measurement technologies for natural gas infrastructure. It creates a Methane Emissions Measurement and Mitigation Research Consortium to facilitate data sharing and collaborative research among industry, government, and academia, focusing on pipeline systems, production wells, and storage facilities. The bill authorizes $36 million in fiscal year 2026 (increasing to $44 million by 2030) to fund research on better detection methods, including Lidar, machine learning analytics, and remote sensing, while requiring annual reports to Congress. This program directly affects natural gas operators, researchers, and federal agencies by advancing tools to accurately quantify emissions from oil and gas infrastructure, without imposing new regulatory requirements.