IIB 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4877 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 1, 2024 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

AN ACT 

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the 

Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, development, and demonstration program with respect to abandoned wells, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abandoned Well Reme3 diation Research and Development Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Energy Policy Act of 2005 

6 is amended— 

7 (1) by adding at the end of subtitle F of title 

8 IX (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) the following new sec9 tion: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 969E. ABANDONED WELLS RESEARCH, DEVELOP11 MENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 

12 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 120 days 

13 after the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec14 retary of Energy shall, in coordination with relevant Fed15 eral and state agencies and entities, establish a research, 

16 development, and demonstration program to improve— 

17 ‘‘(1) data collection on the location of aban18 doned wells; 

19 ‘‘(2) the plugging, remediation, reclamation, 

20 and repurposing of abandoned wells; and 

21 ‘‘(3) strategies to mitigate potential environ22 mental impacts of documented and undocumented 

23 abandoned wells. 

24 ‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—The research, development, and 

25 demonstration under subsection (a) shall include activities 

26 to improve— 


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1 ‘‘(1) remote sensor capabilities, LiDAR capa2 bilities, optical gas imaging, magnetic survey tech3 nology, and any other technologies relevant to the ef4 ficient identification of abandoned wells; 

5 ‘‘(2) understanding of how certain parameters 

6 of abandoned wells affect methane emission rates of 

7 such wells, including parameters such as well age, 

8 well depth, geology, construction, case material, and 

9 geographic region; 

10 ‘‘(3) the efficiency and cost-efficacy of processes 

11 for plugging, remediating, reclaiming, and 

12 repurposing abandoned wells, including— 

13 ‘‘(A) improvement of processes and tech14 nologies for the unique challenges associated 

15 with plugging remote abandoned wells; 

16 ‘‘(B) use of low carbon, lightweight cement 

17 or use of alternative materials and additives for 

18 plugging purposes; and 

19 ‘‘(C) repurposing of abandoned wells for 

20 alternative uses, including geothermal power 

21 production or carbon capture, utilization, and 

22 storage; and 

23 ‘‘(4) understanding of the impacts of aban24 doned wells on groundwater quality and contamina25 tion. 


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1 ‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the program 

2 established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall en3 sure coordination of these activities with State and local 

4 governments, institutions of higher education, the Depart5 ment of Energy National Laboratories, the private sector, 

6 and impacted communities, including landowners within 

7 such communities. 

8 ‘‘(d) ABANDONED WELL DEFINED.—In this section, 

9 the term ‘abandoned well’ means a well originally drilled 

10 in connection with oil and gas operations that is not being 

11 used, has not been plugged, and has no anticipated use 

12 in oil and gas operations. 

13 ‘‘(e) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro14 priated to the Secretary to carry out this section amounts 

15 authorized pursuant to section 10771 of subtitle O of title 

16 VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and 

17 Innovation Act (enacted as division B of Public Law 117– 

18 167), as follows: 

19 ‘‘(1) For fiscal year 2024, $30,000,000. 

20 ‘‘(2) For fiscal year 2025, $31,250,000. 

21 ‘‘(3) For fiscal year 2026, $32,500,000. 

22 ‘‘(4) For fiscal year 2027, $33,750,000. 

23 ‘‘(5) For fiscal year 2028, $35,000,000. 

24 ‘‘(f) SUNSET.—This section shall terminate five years 

25 after the date of the enactment of this section.’’; and 


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1 (2) in the table of contents in section 1(b) (42 

2 U.S.C. 15801 note), by inserting after the matter 

3 relating to section 969D the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 969E. Abandoned wells research, development, and demonstration program.’’. 

4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (6) of 

5 section 10771 of subtitle O of title VI of the Research 

6 and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (en7 acted as division B of Public Law 117–167) is amended— 

8 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

9 by striking ‘‘2026’’ and inserting ‘‘2028’’; 

10 (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

11 ‘‘$600,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$507,500,000’’; 

12 (3) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

13 after the semicolon; 

14 (4) in subparagraph (C)— 

15 (A) by striking ‘‘$1,000,000,000’’ and in16 serting ‘‘$930,000,000’’; and 

17 (B) by striking the period and inserting ‘‘; 

18 and’’; and 

19 (5) by adding at the end the following new sub20 paragraph: 

21 ‘‘(D) $162,500,000 to carry out abandoned 

22 wells research, development, and demonstration 

23 activities under section 969E of the Energy 


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1 Policy Act of 2005, in accordance with such 

2 section.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives April 30, 2024. 

Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 

Clerk. 


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