I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4877 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2023 

Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania (for herself, Mrs. BICE, Ms. ROSS, and Ms. STEVENS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abandoned Well Reme5 diation Research and Development Act’’. 

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

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

8 is amended— 


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

2 IX (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) the following new sec3 tion: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 969E. ABANDONED WELLS RESEARCH, DEVELOP5 MENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 

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

7 after the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec8 retary of Energy shall, in coordination with relevant Fed9 eral and state agencies and entities, establish a research, 

10 development, and demonstration program to improve— 

11 ‘‘(1) data collection on the location of aban12 doned wells; 

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

14 and repurposing of abandoned wells; and 

15 ‘‘(3) strategies to mitigate potential environ16 mental impacts of documented and undocumented 

17 abandoned wells. 

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

19 demonstration under subsection (a) shall include activities 

20 to improve— 

21 ‘‘(1) remote sensor capabilities, LiDAR capa22 bilities, optical gas imaging, magnetic survey tech23 nology, and any other technologies relevant to the ef24 ficient identification of abandoned wells; 


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1 ‘‘(2) understanding of how certain parameters 

2 of abandoned wells affect methane emission rates of 

3 such wells, including paramaters such as well age, 

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

5 geographic region; 

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

7 for plugging, remediating, reclaiming, and 

8 repurposing abandoned wells, including— 

9 ‘‘(A) improvement of processes and tech10 nologies for the unique challenges associated 

11 with plugging remote abandoned wells; 

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

13 or use of alternative materials and additives for 

14 plugging purposes; and 

15 ‘‘(C) repurposing of abandoned wells for 

16 alternative uses, including geothermal power 

17 production or carbon capture, utilization, and 

18 storage; and 

19 ‘‘(4) understanding of the impacts of aban20 doned wells on groundwater quality and contamina21 tion. 

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

23 established in (a), the Secretary shall ensure coordination 

24 of these activities with institutions of higher education, the 


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1 Department of Energy National Laboratories, and the pri2 vate sector. 

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

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

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

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

7 in oil and gas operations. 

8 ‘‘(e) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro9 priated to the Secretary to carry out this section amounts 

10 authorized pursuant to section 10771 of subtitle O of title 

11 VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and 

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

13 167), as follows: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

23 relating to section 969D the following new item: 

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


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

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

3 and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (en4 acted as division B of Public Law 117–167) is amended— 

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

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

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

8 ‘‘$600,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$507,500,000’’; 

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

10 after the semicolon; 

11 (4) in subparagraph (C)— 

12 (A) by striking ‘‘$1,000,000,000’’ and in13 serting ‘‘$930,000,000’’; and 

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

15 and’’; and 

16 (5) by adding at the end the following new sub17 paragraph: 

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

19 wells research, development, and demonstration 

20 activities under section 969E of the Energy 

21 Policy Act of 2005, in accordance with such 

22 section.’’. 

Æ 


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