Virginia will get more than $2.6 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to help lower methane pollution and fix up well sites.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gave the Virginia Department of Energy a total of $2,643,702 in grant money from the Inflation Reduction Act yesterday to help lower methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. This was announced by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.
One of the main things that is changing the climate is the amount of methane in the air that is growing. The Inflation Reduction Act set up the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. With its funds, Virginia will be able to take the lead in reducing methane emissions from conventional oil and gas wells on non-federal lands and help restore the environment around well sites. The funds will also help well owners and operators find and get rid of methane emissions from wells that don’t produce much gas but have a lot of them. As a way to help the Commonwealth, businesses, and other partners find cost-effective ways to keep an eye on and lower methane emissions from these wells, the EPA and DOE will offer scientific support.
“It makes me happy to see that the Inflation Reduction Act is still working for Virginia,” Spanberger said. “We made it easier for Americans to deal with climate change responsibly, cut down on pollution, and create new jobs by passing this bill and sending it to the President to become law.” Today, more of these smart investments are coming back to our Commonwealth. This will help Virginia lead the way in lowering methane emissions and making investments in the future of our world. The more than $2.6 million going to Virginia will help make our neighborhoods cleaner and invest in the state’s future clean energy needs.
The states that took part were given money based on how many low-producing conventional wells they had on nonfederal lands.