Biden’s recent infrastructure plan may also have implications for US refiners
US downstream faces emissions scrutiny
Biden’s low-carbon pledge could mean tighter regulations and punishment for serial emitters
US environmental policy has dramatically shifted under Joe Biden, with the country rejoining the Paris Agreement and the president pledging to halve emissions by 2030. The energy sector’s entire value chain will need to be transformed to achieve these ambitious decarbonisation goals, meaning the downstream sector will not go unscathed. Tackling methane emissions is among the most crucial challenges to both the Paris Agreement and domestic climate ambitions. These emissions contribute around 40pc to the global heat-trapping effect of greenhouse gases, and methane’s 20-year global warming potential is about 84 times that of CO₂. “There is much more bilateral support for reducing methane
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20 February 2026
The country is pushing to increase production and expand key projects despite challenges including OPEC+ discipline and the limitations of its export infrastructure
20 February 2026
Europe has transformed into a global LNG demand powerhouse over the last few years, with the fuel continuing to play a key role in safeguarding the continent’s energy security, Carsten Poppinga, chief commercial officer at Uniper, tells Petroleum Economist
20 February 2026
Sempra Infrastructure’s vice president for marketing and commercial development, Carlos de la Vega, outlines progress across the company’s US Gulf Coast and Mexico Pacific Coast LNG portfolio, including construction at Port Arthur LNG, continued strong performance at Cameron LNG and development of ECA LNG
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment
