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Union Calendar No. 175 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4877 

[Report No. 118–215] 

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 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 

Additional sponsors: Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mrs. FOUSHEE, and Mr. FROST

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 25, 2023] 


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•HR 4877 RH

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. 


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•HR 4877 RH

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 Remedi5 ation 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 is 

8 amended— 

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

10 (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) the following new section: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 969E. ABANDONED WELLS RESEARCH, DEVELOP12 MENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 

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

14 the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of 

15 Energy shall, in coordination with relevant Federal and 

16 state agencies and entities, establish a research, develop17 ment, and demonstration program to improve— 

18 ‘‘(1) data collection on the location of abandoned 

19 wells; 

20 ‘‘(2) the plugging, remediation, reclamation, and 

21 repurposing of abandoned wells; and 

22 ‘‘(3) strategies to mitigate potential environ23 mental impacts of documented and undocumented 

24 abandoned wells. 


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

2 demonstration under subsection (a) shall include activities 

3 to improve— 

4 ‘‘(1) remote sensor capabilities, LiDAR capabili5 ties, optical gas imaging, magnetic survey technology, 

6 and any other technologies relevant to the efficient 

7 identification of abandoned wells; 

8 ‘‘(2) understanding of how certain parameters of 

9 abandoned wells affect methane emission rates of such 

10 wells, including paramaters such as well age, well 

11 depth, geology, construction, case material, and geo12 graphic region; 

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

14 for plugging, remediating, reclaiming, and 

15 repurposing abandoned wells, including— 

16 ‘‘(A) improvement of processes and tech17 nologies for the unique challenges associated with 

18 plugging remote abandoned wells; 

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

20 or use of alternative materials and additives for 

21 plugging purposes; and 

22 ‘‘(C) repurposing of abandoned wells for al23 ternative uses, including geothermal power pro24 duction or carbon capture, utilization, and stor25 age; and 


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1 ‘‘(4) understanding of the impacts of abandoned 

2 wells on groundwater quality and contamination. 

3 ‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the program es4 tablished under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure 

5 coordination of these activities with State and local govern6 ments, institutions of higher education, the Department of 

7 Energy National Laboratories, the private sector, and im8 pacted communities, including landowners within such 

9 communities. 

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

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

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

13 used, has not been plugged, and has no anticipated use in 

14 oil and gas operations. 

15 ‘‘(e) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro16 priated to the Secretary to carry out this section amounts 

17 authorized pursuant to section 10771 of subtitle O of title 

18 VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and In19 novation Act (enacted as division B of Public Law 117– 

20 167), as follows: 

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

4 U.S.C. 15801 note), by inserting after the matter re5 lating to section 969D the following new item: 

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

6 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (6) of sec7 tion 10771 of subtitle O of title VI of the Research and De8 velopment, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as di9 vision B of Public Law 117–167) is amended— 

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

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

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

13 ‘‘$600,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$507,500,000’’; 

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

15 the semicolon; 

16 (4) in subparagraph (C)— 

17 (A) by striking ‘‘$1,000,000,000’’ and in18 serting ‘‘$930,000,000’’; and 

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

20 and’’; and 

21 (5) by adding at the end the following new sub22 paragraph: 

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

24 wells research, development, and demonstration 


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1 activities under section 969E of the Energy Pol2 icy Act of 2005, in accordance with such sec3 tion.’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 175 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4877 

[Report No. 118–215] 

A BILL 

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct 

poses. respect to abandoned wells, and for other purdevelopment, and demonstration program with the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


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