I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8993 
To provide for methane emission detection and mitigation, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 
Mr. CASTEN (for himself and Mr. MEIJER) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To provide for methane emission detection and mitigation, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Methane Emissions 
Mitigation Research and Development Act’’. 
SEC. 2. METHANE EMISSION DETECTION AND MITIGATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle F of title IX of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 969D. METHANE LEAK DETECTION AND MITIGATION. 
‘‘(a) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency and the heads of other appro-
priate Federal agencies, shall carry out a program of 
methane emissions detection and mitigation re-
search, development, and demonstration for tech-
nologies and methods that significantly detect, quan-
tify, and mitigate methane emissions. In carrying 
out the program, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) enter into cooperative agreements 
with State or local governments or for-profit en-
tities to provide technical assistance to— 
‘‘(i) prevent or respond to methane re-
leases, including prediction, detection, miti-
gation, quantification, and identification of 
leaks, vents, and other outflows throughout 
the natural gas infrastructure (including 
natural gas storage, pipelines, and natural 
gas production sites); and 
‘‘(ii) protect public health in the event 
of a major methane release; 
‘‘(B) promote demonstration and adoption 
of effective methane emissions-reduction tech-
nologies in the private sector; 
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‘‘(C) in coordination with representatives 
from private sector entities, State and local gov-
ernments, and institutions of higher education, 
establish a publicly accessible resource for best 
practices in the design, construction, mainte-
nance, performance, monitoring, and incident 
response for— 
‘‘(i) pipeline systems, including com-
pressor stations; 
‘‘(ii) production wells; 
‘‘(iii) storage facilities; and 
‘‘(iv) other vulnerable infrastructure; 
‘‘(D) in coordination with representatives 
from private sector entities, State and local gov-
ernments, and institutions of higher education, 
establish a publicly accessible resource for best 
practices in evaluation and incorporation of 
emission reduction technologies, including— 
‘‘(i) metrics for performance evalua-
tion; and 
‘‘(ii) principles for selection and inte-
gration that are best suited for the project 
or entity concerned; 
‘‘(E) research technologies to more accu-
rately quantify emissions, including— 
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‘‘(i) the ability to accurately charac-
terize and measure methane emissions 
through various atmospheric conditions 
such as wind, rain, fog, and dust; 
‘‘(ii) improvements to data analytics 
and machine learning platforms; and 
‘‘(iii) the ability to characterize tem-
poral patterns in emissions, such as 
through continuous monitoring or multi-
tiered system practices; 
‘‘(F) identify high-risk characteristics of 
pipelines, wells, storage facilities, and materials, 
geologic risk factors, or other key factors that 
increase the likelihood or intensity of methane 
emissions leaks; 
‘‘(G) identify methane mitigation methods 
and technologies in coal mines; and 
‘‘(H) in collaboration with private sector 
entities and institutions of higher education, 
quantify and map significant geologic methane 
seeps and other sources of natural emissions 
across the United States. 
‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out the 
program under this section, the Secretary shall con-
sider the following: 
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‘‘(A) Historical data of methane emissions. 
‘‘(B) Public health consequences. 
‘‘(C) Public safety. 
‘‘(D) Novel materials and designs for pipe-
lines, compressor stations, components, and 
wells (including casing, cement, and wellhead). 
‘‘(E) Regional geologic traits. 
‘‘(F) Induced and natural seismicity. 
‘‘(b) METHANE LEAK DETECTION CONSORTIUM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Secretary shall establish and operate a Methane 
Emissions Measurement and Mitigation Research 
Consortium (in this section referred to as the ‘Con-
sortium’) for the purpose of supporting, to the max-
imum extent practicable, data sharing, research 
prioritization, and researching cooperative leak de-
tection and repair strategies pertaining to methane 
emissions detection, quantification, and mitigation. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the Con-
sortium shall be representatives from relevant Fed-
eral agencies, National Laboratories, oil and gas op-
erators and industry groups, vendors of methane de-
tection and quantification technologies, institutions 
of higher education, community organizations, rel-
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evant nongovernmental organizations, and other ap-
propriate entities. 
‘‘(3) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Consortium shall 
develop and implement a multiyear plan that— 
‘‘(A) identifies technical goals and mile-
stones for the Consortium; and 
‘‘(B) facilitates data sharing for the pur-
poses of— 
‘‘(i) bettering the understanding of 
methane emissions from the oil and gas 
sector; 
‘‘(ii) improving emissions detection, 
measurement, and mitigation capabilities; 
and 
‘‘(iii) improving the understanding of 
methane quantification data analytics and 
machine learning platforms, including for 
calibration of measurements. 
‘‘(4) REPORTING.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
report on the Consortium’s activities to the ap-
propriate congressional committees. 
‘‘(B) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Secretary shall submit to the appro-
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priate congressional committees a report sum-
marizing the activities, findings, and progress 
of the program. The report shall include— 
‘‘(i) a review of LDAR technologies 
available to the oil and gas sector for the 
purpose of methane emissions measure-
ment and mitigation; 
‘‘(ii) a summary of research gaps and 
priorities related to methane emissions de-
tection, measurement, and mitigation capa-
bilities; and 
‘‘(iii) a description of the data sharing 
and cooperative activities that have been 
initiated pursuant to paragraph (3)(B). 
‘‘(C) ANNUAL
REPORT.—Not later than 
one year after the date on which the report 
under subparagraph (B) is submitted and an-
nually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a re-
port summarizing the activities, findings, and 
progress of the program. The report shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(i) an updated review of LDAR tech-
nologies available to oil and gas operators 
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for the purpose of methane emissions 
measurement and mitigation; 
‘‘(ii) a description of the state of 
methane emissions detection and measure-
ment capabilities; 
‘‘(iii) a summary of research priorities 
relating to methane emissions detection, 
measurement, and mitigation; and 
‘‘(iv) an update on the data sharing 
and cooperative activities undertaken by 
members of the Consortium. 
‘‘(5) SUNSET; TERMINATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
provide support to the Consortium for a period 
of not more than ten years, subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations. 
‘‘(B) MERIT REVIEW.—Not later than five 
years after the date on which the Consortium is 
established, the Secretary shall conduct a re-
view to determine whether the Consortium has 
achieved the technical goals and milestones 
identified under paragraph (3)(A). 
‘‘(6) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(A) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COM-
MITTEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional 
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committees’ means the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate. 
‘‘(B) LDAR.—The term ‘LDAR’ means a 
technology, program, or activity that is intended 
to monitor, detect, measure, or repair methane 
leaks. 
‘‘(C) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ 
means the Secretary of Energy. 
‘‘(7) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary to carry out this section— 
‘‘(A) $33,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; 
‘‘(B) $34,650,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
‘‘(C) $36,382,500 for fiscal year 2025; 
‘‘(D) $38,201,625 for fiscal year 2026; 
and 
‘‘(E) $40,111,706 for fiscal year 2027.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amend-
ed by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle 
F of title IX of such Act the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 969D. Methane leak detection and mitigation.’’. 
Æ 
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