Financial and Technical Assistance from the Methane Emissions Reduction Program
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Overview
The Inflation Reduction Act provides new authorities under the Clean Air Act to provide financial and technical assistance to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. As part of this program, EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide more than $1 billion in financial and technical assistance.
Financial and technical assistance opportunities under the Methane Emissions Reduction Program will support a number of activities, including preparing and submitting greenhouse gas reports, monitoring methane emissions, and reducing methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from petroleum and natural gas systems by improving and deploying equipment to reduce emissions, supporting innovation, and permanently shutting in and plugging wells. This assistance will also help mitigate health effects in low-income and disadvantaged communities, improve climate resiliency, and support environmental restoration. This assistance will also support activities at low-producing (marginal) conventional wells.
Financial and technical assistance will support President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which mandates that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities.
These financial and technical assistance opportunities complement other efforts to monitor and reduce emissions from the U.S. oil and gas sector. Through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, EPA is also establishing a Waste Emissions Charge for methane and revising Subpart W of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program regulations for the oil and gas sector.
Funding Opportunity Announcements
On February 9, 2024, EPA and DOE released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to make funds available to help measure and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors. Read more about this announcement.
2023 Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD) Funding—Mitigating Emissions from Marginal Conventional Wells
As part of the EPA-DOE partnership, DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has announced a conditional commitment to 14 states to receive a total of $350 million 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 will help states support efforts to cut methane emissions from wells on non-federal lands and support environmental restoration of well sites. Monitoring and mitigating methane emissions from the oil and gas sector will benefit energy communities, which often include low-income and communities of color, and deliver long-lasting health and environmental benefits across the country.
Once finalized, the awards will provide financial assistance to states to help well owners and operators voluntarily identify and eliminate methane emissions from low-producing conventional oil and gas wells, also referred to as marginal conventional wells, with disproportionately high methane emissions. States also will be able to use a portion of their award to support environmental restoration of well sites, as required under state or federal standards and regulations, and to monitor methane emissions from low-producing conventional wells. This will improve states' ability to identify sources of methane emissions and effectively prioritize their mitigation. EPA and DOE will also provide technical assistance to help states implement cost-effective solutions.
Learn more about the grant awards.
Events
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned for more information about future events!
Past Events
Date | Topic | Event Type | Title |
---|---|---|---|
May 2, 2023 | Financial & Technical Assistance | Listening Session | Listening Session for General Audiences |
May 3, 2023 | Financial & Technical Assistance | Listening Session | Listening Session for State and Local Governments |
May 3, 2023 | Financial & Technical Assistance | Listening Session | Listening Session for Non-Governmental Organizations, Community and Environmental Justice Groups |
May 9, 2023 | Financial & Technical Assistance | Listening Session | Listening Session for Tribal Governments |
May 9, 2023 | Financial & Technical Assistance | Listening Session | Listening Session for Industry, Small Businesses, and Labor Groups |
EPA and DOE Partnership
EPA, DOE, and the DOE-NETL have partnered to provide more than $1 billion in financial and technical assistance. This partnership will leverage EPA and DOE’s shared commitment and joint expertise in advancing methane mitigation technologies for the oil and gas sector. DOE-NETL brings additional experience in financial assistance administration and complements EPA’s expertise in quantifying and reducing methane emissions. This EPA and DOE partnership will ensure funds are distributed efficiently and effectively, helping realize near-term emission reductions and benefiting public health.
Contact the Methane Emissions Reduction Program
Send questions to merp@epa.gov.
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