Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) joined a White House press call with White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Department of the Interior Infrastructure Coordinator Winnie Stachelberg to announce that the State of Texas will receive $343,695,029 in federal funds from the Department of the Interior’s program to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells based on Congresswoman Fletcher’s Revive Economic Growth and Reclaim Orphaned Wells (REGROW) Act of 2021. The REGROW Act was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and signed into law in November. 

“I am thrilled that the Department of the Interior is awarding $343,695,029 to the State of Texas—more than any other state—to plug orphaned wells because of my legislation, the REGROW Act, which was included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “As the lead sponsor of the bill to create this program in the House, I could not be more pleased or proud to see it not only signed into law but turned into action so quickly.  The funding announced for this program will reduce environmental hazards and public health risks and create employment opportunities for skilled oil and gas workers across our state and our country.”

H.R. 3585, the REGROW Act directs the Department of the Interior to establish a program to provide funds for the plugging, remediating, and reclaiming of more than 56,000 documented orphaned oil and gas wells throughout the United States.  In total, the program will award $4.6 billion toward cleaning up these sites, creating tens of thousands of jobs for skilled oil and gas workers. Congresswoman Fletcher has continuously advocated for federal funding for Texas to plug orphaned wells.  A total of $1.15 billion was awarded in this first round of funding across the country.