Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act the Congresswoman Voted to Pass, Virginia is Receiving More Than $2.6 Million to Help Reduce Methane Emissions & Restore Well Sites

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have awarded a total of $2,643,702 in grant funding from the Inflation Reduction Act — which Spanberger voted to pass and the President signed into law — to the Virginia Department of Energy to help reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

The rising concentration of methane in the atmosphere is one of the largest drivers of climate change. The more than $2.6 million provided by the Methane Emissions Reduction Program — created by the Inflation Reduction Act — will help Virginia take the lead in cutting methane emissions from conventional oil and gas wells on nonfederal lands and support environmental restoration of well sites. Specifically, the funding will help well owners and operators voluntarily identify and eliminate methane emissions from low-producing wells with disproportionately high methane emissions. EPA and DOE will also provide technical assistance to help the Commonwealth, industry, and other partners implement cost-effective solutions to monitor and reduce methane emissions from these wells.

“I’m proud to see that the Inflation Reduction Act is continuing to deliver for Virginia,” said Spanberger. “In passing this legislation and moving it to the President’s desk to become law, we strengthened America’s ability to responsibly address climate change, reduce pollution, and create new jobs. Today, we are seeing more of these smart investments come home to our Commonwealth — allowing Virginia to help take the lead in reducing methane emissions and investing in the future of our planet. The more than $2.6 million headed to our Commonwealth will help deliver cleaner air in our communities and invest in Virginia’s clean energy future.”

The funding was awarded based on participating states’ proportion of the total number of low-producing conventional wells on nonfederal lands.

Click here for more information about the Methane Emissions Reduction Program run by the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), EPA, and DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

###