The California Department of Conservation (DOC) received a $9,028,614 grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Energy Community Revitalization Program (CFDA 15.018) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This project grant funding supports the DOC's efforts to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells on state and private lands within California. Key activities include:
Plugging and remediating orphaned wells to reduce methane emissions and restore impacted land and water resources
Identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned wells across state and private properties
Ranking orphaned wells based on public health, environmental, and land use priorities
Addressing disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities
Measuring and tracking methane emissions, groundwater/surface water contamination, and other environmental effects
The expected outcomes of this 3-year project include decreasing methane emissions, enhancing public health and safety, and restoring degraded land and water resources. This grant supports the DOC's broader efforts to address legacy oil and gas infrastructure challenges across California.