Our Mission
The mission of the Indian Energy Service Center (IESC) is to fulfill the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Indian trust responsibility in the energy and mineral development arena. We do this by modernizing business processes to efficiently develop the Indian energy and mineral estate while protecting trust assets by removing barriers to energy (renewable and conventional) and mineral development on Indian lands.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides $150M for Tribal well plugging, remediation, and restoration. Tribes may seek funding to undertake the well plugging or may request that the Secretary administer the well plugging on behalf of the Tribe. The Office of Environmental Policy & Compliance (OEPC) has worked closely with the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Indian Energy Service Center to develop the following:
- Dear Tribal Leader Letter: Deadline Extended to February 21, 2023 (1/11/23)
- FY23 Tribal Orphaned Well Grant Guidance
- Biden-Harris Administration Makes $50 Million Available to Clean Up Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells on Tribal Lands
- Tribal Webinar and Office Hours Flyer
- Dear Tribal Leader Letter (4/26/22)
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases Draft Guidance on New Tribal Orphaned Well Program
- Dear Tribal Leader Letter (1/18/24)
Orphaned Well Grant Tribal Grant Program – application period open
The application period is now open for Tribes to apply for Orphaned Well grant funding from the Orphaned Well Program Office. Please provide this information to your respective tribes as the application period opened March 15, 2024.
The Department invites Federally Recognized Tribes to submit requests for Phase 2 grants and “In Lieu of Grant” assistance according to published final guidance. Up to $55 million is available for Phase 2 grant awards. A Tribe may apply for either or both types of Phase 2 grants or request In Lieu of Grant assistance, but not both a grant and In Lieu of Grant assistance during this Phase 2 opportunity.
Grants: The Department will accept applications for Program Development Grants and Implementation Grants until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 14, 2024.
Application requirements for the two grant types to be awarded under the current opportunity are detailed in the Final Guidance:
Tribal Implementation Grants fund plugging, remediation, and reclamation activities, including identification and assessment of orphaned wells on Tribal lands.
Tribal Program Development Grants fund activities to develop and administer a Tribal program to carry out plugging, remediation, and reclamation activities for orphaned wells on Tribal lands including identification and assessment, training, and other capacity-building activities.
- PRESS RELEASE 03/15/2024
- TRIBAL ORPHANED WELL PROGRAM PAGE
- PHASE TWO TRIBAL GRANT GUIDANCE
- PHASE TWO TRIBAL "IN LIEU" OF GRANT GUIDANCE
***Training Webinars and Open Office Hours***
The Department will offer weekly “office hours” for all interested and prospective applicants every Wednesday, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. MT, from March 27 through May 8, 2024. PLEASE USE THIS ZOOM LINK TO ACCESS:
Topic: Orphaned Well Tribal Program Office Hours
Time: Mar 27, 2024 01:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Wed, until May 8, 2024, 7 occurrence(s)
Mar 27, 2024 01:30 PM
Apr 3, 2024 01:30 PM
Apr 10, 2024 01:30 PM
Apr 17, 2024 01:30 PM
Apr 24, 2024 01:30 PM
May 1, 2024 01:30 PM
May 8, 2024 01:30 PM
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Weekly: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/vJIsduGhqT0sHJt5i2CH45NbV12I1dWiTi8/ics…
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https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1611897666
Meeting ID: 161 189 7666
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Who We Serve
The IESC serves the Indian trust mission of the DOI in the arena of energy and mineral management. IESC does this through providing technical assistance, guidance, and training to bureaus and offices within the department and to other federal agencies that develop energy and mineral resources on Indian trust lands, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), and others.
IESC facilitates nationwide cooperation between government offices to expedite Indian oil and gas development, standardize processes, and improve the efficiency of Indian energy, renewable energy, and mineral development management to better serve Indian beneficiaries and Tribes.
Services We Provide
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About the Indian Energy Service Center
The IESC is funded and led by the BIA and includes organizational units of the BIA, BLM, ONRR, and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA). This unique, all-government approach leverages program strengths from across DOI and brings an effective focus to the Indian trust mission.
The IESC is responsible for managing energy and mineral resources on Indian lands. One broad area within the IESC’s mission is program-wide facilitation and coordination functions across DOI. This includes facilitating the Indian Energy and Minerals Steering Committee (IEMSC) and the six regional Federal Partners meetings, establishing program guidance and direction through national policy memoranda, energy and mineral handbooks, and standard operating procedures, nationwide oil and gas bond and company bankruptcy tracking, and other similar functions.
The IESC also provides energy and mineral related support processing to the DOI’s field-level offices, including BIA regional and agency offices, BLM state and field offices, BTFA regional and agency offices, ONRR offices, and other Department organizational units as requested. Field offices may require assistance due to high workload volume; highly complex processing needs or coordination, or for other reasons. In any case, the IESC coordinates with field offices to provide additional support processing capacity as needed to develop work products for the local line officer as needed, thereby providing a cost-effective solution to meeting fluctuating workload and capacity exceedances.
The IESC was created through a recommendation from an IEMSC subcommittee to address the growing backlog at agencies due to the increased activity throughout Indian country. Approved by the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, the IESC received federal funding in FY 2016 and began hiring staff from BIA, BLM, and ONRR.
