Energy community revitalization program: bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL) orphaned well state performance matching grant program codified under 42 U.S.C. 15907.

The Department of the Interior, through the Energy Community Revitalization Program (ECRP) (CFDA 15.018), awarded the Railroad Commission of Texas $30 million on October 1, 2025, for a five-year project period concluding September 30, 2030. This Project Grant funds comprehensive orphaned well remediation and environmental restoration activities across state and private lands in Texas. Deliverables include plugging and remediating orphaned oil and gas wells, restoring soil and habitat at degraded well sites, decommissioning and removing associated infrastructure such as pipelines and facilities, and providing detailed cost accounting for all plugging and reclamation activities performed.

Additional services funded through this award encompass identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned wells on state and private lands, ranking wells based on public health and safety risks and environmental harm potential, measuring and tracking methane emissions and other gases to assess environmental impacts, monitoring groundwater and surface water contamination, and developing or administering well-plugging capacity where infrastructure gaps exist. The program also addresses adverse human health and environmental effects on local communities impacted by orphaned wells. These activities directly support the federal objective to enhance public safety and environmental stewardship through systematic remediation of legacy energy infrastructure across Texas.

Purpose

Funding through the program may be utilized to plug, remediate or reclaim orphaned wells on state and private lands located within the state s boundaries, restore soil and habitat in the degraded area, decommission or remove associated infrastructure, identify and characterize additional undocumented wells on state and private lands and set up well-plugging capacity where not already established. 42 U.S.C. 15907 creates an orphaned well site plugging, remediation, and reclamation grant program within the department of the interior to address orphaned wells and well sites on state and private lands within the state s boundaries.

Activities

This grant funds the texas railroad commission to perform the following activities: plug, remediate, or reclaim orphaned wells on state and private lands remediate soil and restore habitat that has been due to the presence of orphaned wells or associated pipelines, facilities, or infrastructure on state and private lands remediate state and private lands adjacent to orphaned wells and decommission or remove associated pipelines, facilities, and infrastructure provide an accounting of the cost of plugging, remediation, and reclamation for each orphaned well site on state and or private lands within the state identify and characterize undocumented orphaned wells on state and private land rank orphaned wells based on factors including public health and safety, potential environmental harm, and other land use priorities identify and address adverse human health or environmental effects on local communities measure and track methane emissions and other gases as well as contamination of groundwater and surface water and develop or administer a program to carry out any activities described in this section. Activities funded by this grant must comply with the uniform guidance for grants and agreements (2 CFR 200), build america buy america, davis-bacon act, and BIL, and include all costs necessary to conduct and manage the approved project, such as equipment and contracted services. Expected deliverables or outcomes: 1.decrease the amount of methane emissions from orphaned wells. 2.enhance the protection of public health, safety, and property from adverse effects of oil drilling practices from orphaned wells on states and private lands. 3.plug, remediate, or reclaim orphaned wells on state and private lands.4.restore land and water resources, the environment, and property from oil drilling activities, facilities, and associated pipelines from orphaned wells on state and private lands.5.remediate and restore land and water resources and the environment previously degraded by the adverse effects of oil and gas production and drilling, including measures for the conservation and development of soil, water, woodland, fish and wildlife, recreation resources, and agricultural productivity.

Intended beneficiaries

The general public benefits directly and indirectly from the proposed project that addresses long overdue infrastructure and environmental improvements to strengthen our resilience to the changing climate and mitigate the effects of legacy pollution. This investment in state programs across the country will grow the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come. Information and data collected by this project will be made available as applicable. The general public will benefit by removing hazardous legacy facilities, including in disproportionately impacted communities where work will be prioritized.subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award): n a