FOA number: DE-FOA-0003109
Download the full funding opportunity: grants.gov
Funding Amount: $350,000,000
Background Information
On August 30, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) announced the availability of up to $350 million in formula grant funding to help monitor and reduce methane emissions, one of the biggest drivers of climate change, from the oil and gas sector and for environmental restoration of well sites. The funding, provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, will also help oil and gas well owners, as well as operators of applicable facilities, voluntarily and permanently reduce methane emissions from leaks and daily operations of low-producing conventional wells on non-federal lands. Through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, EPA and DOE will help reduce inefficiencies of U.S. oil and gas operations, create new jobs in energy communities, and realize near-term emission reductions – helping reach the nation’s ambitious climate and clean air goals.
This action is the first in a series of funding opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act that will target monitoring and reduction of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. EPA and DOE plan to announce competitive funding opportunities following this non-competitive solicitation and have partnered to offer technical assistance to help industry monitor and reduce methane emissions from leaks and daily operations. This combination of technical and financial assistance is expected to help improve efficiency of U.S. oil and gas operations and provide new economic opportunities in energy communities, as well as realize near-term emission reductions.
EPA and DOE are collaborating alongside other members of the new White House Methane Task Force, which is advancing a whole-of-government approach to proactive methane leak detection and data transparency and supporting state and local efforts to mitigate and enforce methane emissions regulations. These actions by EPA and DOE accelerate execution of the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, building on over 80 Administration actions taken in less than a year since the Plan launched in November 2022.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are restricted to the following 30 states identified in Appendix A – State Formula Allocation List of the Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD).
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Project Objectives
Applications are limited to projects that are directly related to the permanent plugging and abandonment of marginal conventional wells on non-Federal lands. These activities include:
- Permanently plugging marginal conventional wells located on non-Federal lands
- Measuring methane emissions associated with marginal conventional wells
- Supporting elements of environmental restoration associated with the plugged marginal conventional wells
Funding
This ALRD is expected to make available up to $350 million for new awards under this announcement. Funds will be distributed on a formula basis in accordance with the formula allocations in the table below, which can be found in the full ALRD as Appendix A – State Formula Allocation List.
Key Dates
| NOI Issue Date: | 7/21/2023 |
| ALRD Issue Date: | 8/30/2023 |
| Closing Date for Applications: | 9/30/2023 at 5:00 PM ET |
Additional Information
- Download the full funding opportunity on Grants.gov
- All applicants must register and apply on Grants.gov and submit questions through FedConnect
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Last Updated: August 31, 2023