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Beyer, Harrigan Introduce Legislation to Improve Methane Capture

Washington, February 10, 2026

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) and Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve federal coordination of methane monitoring technologies and methane emission data-sharing, to better support the methane mitigation industry and prevent revenue loss due to leaks.

“Identifying methane leaks is critical for the success of the American energy and methane mitigation industry,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Innovative technologies are available to capture methane leakage, but a primary challenge is finding and tracking those leaks. Our legislation would coordinate monitoring systems and technologies to identify leaks more quickly and effectively than they can now.”

“American energy competes in global markets where credibility matters. Right now, methane data is scattered across different systems, which makes it harder for U.S. producers to clearly show how they operate,” said Rep. Pat Harrigan. “This bill directs NASA to use the satellites and data infrastructure it already runs to deliver more accurate methane measurements, without adding new regulations or expanding enforcement authority. When measurement is solid, American energy is stronger, exports are more competitive, and our national security is better protected.”

The Methane Monitoring Science Act would direct the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop a science-based strategy to assess our present and future methane monitoring and detection capabilities. This strategy would include:

  • Assessments of various methane monitoring technologies in use including ground-based, airborne, and space-based sensors, and technologies that monitor at the source- and site-level,
  • The integration of methane monitoring data from other indicators, ranging across large and small methane emission events, and
  • Ensuring data and tools can be operationalized for federal research and development purposes and by non-Federal entities to support rapid mitigation of methane leaks.

Full text of the Methane Monitoring Science Act is available here. This bill was included through an amendment in the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026, which was reported out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on February 4, 2026.