Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.708
- Agency
-
Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- 159 $786,467,788 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance type
-
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 69-1402-0-1-400
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is awarding grants under the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program (CFDA 20.708) to municipality and community-owned utilities for repairing, rehabilitating, or replacing high-risk or actively leaking natural gas distribution pipeline infrastructure, with the most recent award disbursed on July 8, 2025.
The program funds pipeline system repair, rehabilitation, and replacement projects as well as acquisition of equipment designed to reduce incidents, fatalities, and methane leaks in natural gas distribution networks serving communities of all sizes. Recent awards span from approximately $14 thousand to $75 million, with recipients including City of Philadelphia Gas Works ($75 million), City of Richmond, Virginia ($39.2 million), Metropolitan Utilities District in Nebraska ($25.2 million), City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri ($20 million), and City of Donaldsonville, Louisiana ($20 million), alongside many smaller municipal and community-owned utilities. The program provides up to 60 months of performance period, with justified extensions available.
Grant activity has accelerated substantially. Awards totaled 159 since the program's inception in September 2023, with $786.5 million in combined federal obligations. Annual award volume jumped from 2 awards in 2023 to 52 in 2024 and 105 in 2025, reflecting ramp-up under Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorization. All awards are Project Grants, and PHMSA provides 100 percent of program funding. Award magnitudes vary widely; recent awards show concentrations among larger municipal systems but also include small utilities receiving under $15 thousand. Typical smaller awards range from approximately $35 thousand to $575 thousand, while mid-range awards cluster between $1 million and $10 million.
Eligible applicants are municipality-owned utilities, community-owned utilities, and Federally recognized Native American tribal governments that own and operate natural gas distribution systems. For-profit entities and any pipeline assets owned by for-profit entities are not eligible. Applications are reviewed by a technical panel on merit, including clarity of project narrative and budget reasonableness. The program requires three-year record retention after final report submission and treats NEPA review as post-award.
The most recent open solicitation (Solicitation Number 693JK326NF0013) posted March 23, 2026 with a due date of May 22, 2026, and solicits applications for the current fiscal year with the same eligible applicant categories and project scope. The program is authorized for $200 million annually through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with a five-year total of $1 billion.
Objective and description
- Objective
Grant funds will be made available to municipality or community owned utilities (not including for-profit entities) seeking assistance in repairing, rehabilitating, or replacing high-risk, actively leaking, or leak-prone natural gas distribution infr
- Description
Grant funds will be made available to eligible entities seeking assistance in repairing, rehabilitating, or replacing high-risk, actively leaking, or leak-prone natural gas distribution infrastructure. Funds may also be used to acquire equipment that will assist in reducing natural gas distribution pipeline incidents and fatalities, as well as to avoid economic loss from leaks. This grant funding will help communities of all sizes make their natural gas pipeline infrastructure safer, create good jobs, and reduce the risks to residents and businesses.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Municipality-owned utilities, community-owned utilities, or Federally recognized Native American tribal governments owning and operating a natural gas distribution system. Not Eligible: For-profit entities or any pipeline asset(s) owned by a for-profit entity.
- Credentials and documentation
PHMSA IIJA Team will conduct grant reviews, grant awards, and grant administration. PHMSA Office of Chief Counsel will conduct required legal reviews. Costs will be determined in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
- Uses of assistance
Grant funds will be made available to municipalities or community owned utilities (not including for-profit entities) to repair, rehabilitate, or replace natural gas distribution pipeline systems or portions thereof or to acquire equipment to reduce incidents and fatalities, and to avoid economic loss.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The period of performance is up to 60 months from the effective date of award. However, applicants may request a period of performance extension if they can justify that their projects will require additional time.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Review of the applications' project(s) will be based on the administrative/intake, technical, and programmatic criteria set forth in the NOFO, as well as Department of Transportation (DOT) goals and priorities. Refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity package posted on grants.gov for more details.
- Award procedure
PHMSA will review applications based on merit, including the clarity of project narrative and reasonableness of costs as described in the budget narrative. The program applications must be completed in their entirety and all required information must be provided in detail. Each grant application will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria listed in the NOFO. A technical review panel of subject matter experts will evaluate the grant applications. NEPA information is not required for this program until after an entity has been selected for an award. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
- Deadlines
Refer to Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on grants.gov.
- Time to approval or disapproval
60-180 days.
- Renewals
These will be granted on a case-by-case basis.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 159 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City Of Philadelphia | $125,000,000 | 16% |
| 2 | City Of Richmond | $54,892,325 | 7% |
| 3 | Metropolitan Utilities District Of Omaha | $35,225,288 | 4% |
| 4 | City Utilities Of Springfield | $30,040,000 | 4% |
| 5 | City Of Donaldsonville | $30,000,000 | 4% |
| 6 | City Of Holyoke | $21,939,933 | 3% |
| 7 | City Of Norwich Department Of Public Utilities | $20,916,261 | 3% |
| 8 | City Of Westfield | $17,339,940 | 2% |
| 9 | City Of Palo Alto | $16,519,879 | 2% |
| 10 | Gas Utility District 2 Of East Feliciana | $16,325,576 | 2% |
10 of 127 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$64,220 |
| FY2025 | $587,246,960 |
| FY2024 | $195,597,507 |
| FY2023 | $3,687,541 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.708?
Assistance Listing 20.708 is Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program, a federal grant program run by Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program?
Its CFDA number is 20.708: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 20.708 awarded?
159 grant awards under 20.708 have obligated $786,467,788 in federal funds to 127 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 20.708?
The recipients obligated the most under Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program are City Of Philadelphia ($125,000,000), City Of Richmond ($54,892,325) and Metropolitan Utilities District Of Omaha ($35,225,288).
How much did 20.708 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 20.708 obligated $587,246,960 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 20.708?
No opportunity listed under 20.708 is open now. The latest, Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) Grant Program, was posted on March 23, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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