The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have made a conditional commitment to 14 states to receive a total of $350m in formula grant funding to help measure and reduce methane emissions, one of the biggest drivers of climate change, from the oil and gas sector.
The funding, which is made possible by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will help states support industry efforts to cut methane emissions from wells on nonfederal lands and support environmental restoration of well sites, according to a news release.
The following state agencies received conditional funding commitments based on a participating state’s proportion of the total number of low-producing conventional wells in participating states on nonfederal lands:
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: $134,151,343
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: $44,457,220
- West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection: $37,791,464
- California State Lands Commission: $21,913,688
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources: $19,941,597
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources: $17,367,009
- Louisiana Department of Natural Resources: $15,661,335
- New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources: $14,656,151
- Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet: $12,912,198
- Colorado Department of Natural Resources: $12,608,270
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: $8,123,602
- Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy: $5,022,306
- State of Utah Department of Environmental Quality: $2,750,115
- State of Virginia Department of Energy: $2,643,702
These conditional commitments for grant funding are the first in a series of funding opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. In 2024, EPA and DOE intend to make additional competitive solicitations available to a broader range of applicants to advance the deployment of technologies and practices to monitor and reduce emissions of methane and other greenhouse gases. A forthcoming Notice of Intent for the competitive funding will provide more information.
EPA and DOE are working with other members of the new White House Methane Task Force to advance a whole-of-government approach to proactive methane leak detection, mitigation, and data transparency, and support state and local efforts to mitigate methane emissions.
