Methane Removal Research and Innovation Act of 2026

This bill, known as the "Methane Removal Research and Innovation Act of 2026," requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a Methane Removal Research Initiative . The initiative's primary goal is to expand scientific understanding across various disciplines, including chemistry, geosciences, and atmospheric sciences, to facilitate the practical development of methane removal approaches. These approaches involve enhancing natural sinks or directly removing methane from the atmosphere through physical, chemical, or biological methods. To achieve its objectives, the initiative will organize multidisciplinary teams from National Laboratories , institutions of higher education , and private entities. These teams will conduct research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities to assess the feasibility, costs, and potential scale of methane removal technologies. Key research goals include investigating atmospheric oxidation, methanotrophy enhancement, biological methods, and novel methane breakdown technologies, informed by National Academies reports. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $25,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to fund these efforts, and mandates regular reports to Congress on progress and future recommendations.