The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law in November 2021, has been a significant boon for the plugging of orphaned wells in West
Virginia. The IIJA allocates substantial federal funding to address environmental and safety concerns associated with these orphaned oil and gas wells. With
thousands of such wells in the state, the IIJA’s financial support is crucial for ramping up remediation efforts.
The Office of Oil and Gas (OOG) has been a key beneficiary of the IIJA funds. These resources have enabled the OOG to identify, prioritize, and plug orphaned
wells more efficiently. The influx of federal dollars has facilitated the hiring of additional personnel, the procurement of necessary equipment, and the
contracting of specialized services to carry out well-plugging operations.
| Grant Type |
Maximum Eligibility |
Grant Subclassification |
Grant Amount |
Grant Status |
| Initial Grant (IIJA-IG) |
$25,000,000 |
|
$25,000,000 |
Complete |
| Formula Grant (IIJA-FG) |
$116,932,226 |
|
|
|
|
|
Phase 1 |
$29,233,057 |
Awarded |
|
|
Phase 2 |
$29,233,057 |
Applied |
|
|
Phase 3+ |
|
TBD |
| Performance Grant - Matching Series (IIJA-MG) |
$30,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Matching Grant FY24 (IIJA-MG24) |
$1,965,102 |
Awarded |
|
|
Matching Grant FY25 (IIJA-MG25) |
$3,306,846 |
Applied |
|
|
Matching Grant FY26+ |
|
TBD |
| Performance Grant - Regulatory Improvement Series (IIJA-RIG) |
$40,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
RIG1+ |
|
TBD |
One of the primary goals of the IIJA funding is to mitigate environmental hazards, such as methane emissions and surface or groundwater contamination, each
of which pose environmental and safety risks. Beginning in 2023 and extending until at least 2030, it is expected that IIJA funding will result in the
plugging of 1,200 orphaned wells.
For more detailed information about recent IIJA-funded plugging activity, utilize our interactive mapping tool.