The Biden-Harris administration has announced $196 million in grants for 37 projects across 19 states to improve public safety, protect public health, and reduce methane emissions from natural gas distribution pipes.
“This funding to modernize our gas pipelines will help protect residents from dangerous leaks, create good-paying jobs, and reduce methane emissions in communities across the nation, particularly in rural and underserved areas,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a USDOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration press release issued on April 5.
The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization grant program funds the modernization of municipal and community-owned natural gas distribution pipes with nearly $1 billion in funding over five years, the release reports.
“Investments in pipeline safety are investments in community safety and our shared environment,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said in the release. “For far too long, underserved communities have had to bear the brunt of aging and dangerous pipelines. This funding will finally give communities the resources they need to replace legacy pipelines— improving safety, protecting the environment, and creating jobs.”
Hundreds of jobs are anticipated through the projects funded by the grants as workers repair, replace or rehabilitate nearly 270 miles of pipe, according to the release. The modernization is forecast to reduce methane emissions by approximately 212 metric tons annually.
This program is part of President Joe Biden's Investing in America agenda and will advance the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, the DOT states in the release.
In addition to supporting good-paying jobs for thousands of skilled U.S. workers, this action plan will enable the United States to leverage tools to cut methane emissions, protect public health, promote U.S. innovation and lower energy costs for families, according to the release. The next funding opportunity of $392 million is expected to be released in May 2023.
