Formula Grants

Through the State Formula Grant Program, 26 states are eligible to collectively receive up to $1.93 billion in Formula grant funding from the Department.  The amount that each state is eligible to receive was determined by state-provided data related to the factors outlined in 42 U.S.C. § 15907(c)(4)(A)(iii), which include job losses in the oil and gas industry, the number of documented orphaned wells, and the projected costs to plug, remediate and reclaim orphaned wells and well sites.  The total Formula grant eligibility for each state was announced on July 7, 2023, when the Department published the Phase 1 Formula grant guidance.  For a chart of Formula grant eligibility by State, please see Table 3 in the Congressional Report for Fiscal Year 2024.  

The OWPO plans to offer States maximum flexibility with regards to future Formula Grant application windows. Additional information is available in the Revised Formula grant guidance below.  

Resources

• Revised State Formula Grant Guidance (available soon)

Archived Content

• Phase 2 State Formula Grant Guidance 08.14.2024 [pdf]
• Methane Reduction Tracking
• Phase 1 State Formula Grant Guidance 07 07 2023 [pdf]
• Data Reporting Template With Definitions [xlsx]
• Draft State Formula Guidance 2023123 EOP Final For EOP Approval [pdf]
  
  • The period for the public to comment on the state formula grant draft guidance has been extended from February 24, 2023 until March 24, 2023.
  • On Thursday, March 2, at 1:00 a.m. EST, the Department of the Interior hosted an online public roundtable-style webinar on the draft formula grant guidance. During the webinar, the Department provided an overview of the draft guidance and listened to comments offered by members of the public. Review the 3 2 23 Draft Formula Grant Guidance Public Webinar Slides Final [pdf] or the recorded webinar.