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Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025 This bill removes certain requirements, including measuring methane emissions, for grants to states under the State Orphaned Wells Program. Under the program, the Department of the Interior provides grants to states for the following purposes: (1) plugging, remediating, and reclaiming orphaned wells located on federal land; (2) identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned wells; (3) measuring and tracking emissions of gases (e.g., methane) or contamination of water associated with orphaned wells; or (4) conducting certain other related activities. Generally, orphaned wells are oil and gas wells without solvent owners or operators responsible for cleaning up leaks from the wells. In 2024, Interior issued guidance for the grant program that requires states to conduct certain measuring and tracking activities related to the orphaned wells before and after receiving grants. However, the bill specifies that states are not required to provide such information in order to receive a grant. Instead, the bill makes measuring and tracking optional. The bill also directs Interior to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the effect of the plugging and remediation activity on economic development, housing trends, and other potential benefits in areas where the plugging and remediation activity reclaimed a high number of well sites.
Market Impact Map
Action Timeline
2025-02-11
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
2025-02-11
Introduced in House
2025-02-11
Introduced in House
Full Bill Text
119 HR 1217 IH: Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025 U.S. House of Representatives 2025-02-11 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1217 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 11, 2025 Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Deluzio ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to address measuring methane emissions, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025 . 2. Pre-plugging methane emissions for grant eligibility Section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15907 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (c)(2), by adding at the end the following: (C) Activities not required Nothing in this section requires a State to measure methane emissions or conduct other activities described in subparagraph (A), which are activities a State may conduct but is not required to conduct, as a condition of eligibility for a grant under this subsection. ; and (2) in subsection (f)(2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting , which may include estimates derived from pre-plugging or post-plugging monitoring data that States may, but are not required to, collect using funding from grants awarded under this section, after estimate . 3. National Academies study on community impact of orphaned well grant program (a) Study Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall— (1) seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall carry out a study on the effect of the plugging and remediation activity conducted under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15907 ) on economic development, housing trends, and other potential benefits (such as improvements in water quality) in areas where the plugging and remediation activity conducted under that section reclaimed a high number of sites, as determined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and (2) to the maximum extent practicable, provide the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine with information necessary to carry out the study described in paragraph (1). (b) Key inputs The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall ensure that at least 1 State from each region of the United States (Northeast, Southwest, West, Southeast, and Midwest) shall be key inputs to the study carried out under subsection (a). (c) Consultation In carrying out the study under subsection (a), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall consult with— (1) the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with respect to— (A) how the plugging and remediation activity conducted under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15907 ) has affected economic development and housing trends; and (B) how data on locations of plugging and remediation priorities from the Department of the Interior may be valuable to the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (2) the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, to provide data required to carry out the study under subsection (a); and (3) other Federal agencies, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (d) Report Not later than 18 months after the date on which the last grant is awarded under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15907 ), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall submit to Congress a report detailing the findings of the study carried out under subsection (a). (e) Use of existing funds This section shall be carried out using amounts otherwise made available to the Secretary of the Interior.
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