Methane Reduction and Economic Growth Act

Section 45Q(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

In the case of qualified methane—

(i) paragraph (4) of subsection (a) shall be applied—

(I) by substituting per metric ton of CO2e (as defined in section 45Z(d)(2)) of qualified methane for per metric ton of qualified carbon oxide,

(II) by substituting methane capture equipment for carbon capture equipment, and

(III) by applying the following in lieu of subparagraph (B) thereof:

(i) either—

(I) injected by the taxpayer for energy use—

(aa) in a pipeline which satisfies the pipeline integrity management guidelines of section 192 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, and is in compliance with instrumental leak monitoring and other preventive and mitigative measures under section 192.935 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, or

(bb) in a gathering system that feeds a pipeline described in subclause (I), or

(II) otherwise used for producing heat (for industrial use or to heat a structure) or other energy, in a manner that does not involve more than de-minimis release of methane into the atmosphere.

(ii) the term qualified facility shall mean any individual source of qualified methane such as borehole, well, or vent shaft constructed at a mining facility—

(I) the construction of which begins before January 1, 2036,

(II) for which construction of methane capture equipment begins before such date, and

(III) which captures not less than 2,500 metric tons of CO2e methane during the taxable year,

(iii) subsection (b)(2)(A)(ii) shall be applied by substituting the greatest amount of methane captured at such facility in any year ending prior to for the total amount of the carbon dioxide capture capacity of the carbon capture equipment in service at such facility on the day before, and

(iv) this section shall be applied by substituting methane capture for carbon capture and qualified methane for qualified carbon oxide in subsection (b)(2), (f)(1), (h), and (i)(1).

For purposes of this paragraph, the term qualified methane means any methane which—

(i) is captured from mining activities, including underground mines, abandoned or closed mines, or surface mines, by methane capture equipment,

(ii) would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as industrial emission of greenhouse gas or lead to such release, and

(iii) is measured at the source of capture and verified at the point of injection or utilization.

For purposes of this paragraph, the term methane capture equipment means equipment built to connect a qualified facility to—

(i) a preexisting or new pipeline system, or

(ii) to energy generation equipment, to capture qualified methane from such source.

The amendments made by this section shall apply to qualified methane captured after December 31, 2024.