Three energy bills approved by the House Natural Resources Committee aim to expand federal onshore and offshore drilling by improving access to Atlantic and Pacific areas, Indian lands, and the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska (NPR-A).
On June 12, 2013, the House Natural Resources Committee voted in favor of three bills – Offshore Energy and Jobs Act, Native American Energy Act, and National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act – aimed to expand energy development on federal lands and waters by expediting oil and gas leases and streamlining regulations.
The Offshore Energy and Jobs Act (H.R. 2231), introduced by Chairman Doc Hastings, would expand offshore drilling to Atlantic and Pacific coasts and establish a new leasing plan that includes rich oil and gas-bearing areas. The administration’s current five-year (2012-2017) plan keeps approximately 85% of offshore areas closed to energy development. This legislation would also restructure the Department of Interior’s offshore energy agencies for more efficient oversight and establish revenue-sharing for coastal states.
The Native American Energy Act (H.R. 1548), sponsored by Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Don Young, would remove regulatory barriers to advance energy development on Indian lands. It would advance business development for Alaska Native corporations, enabling them to become self-sufficient.
The National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act (H.R. 1964), sponsored by Hastings and Young, aims to facilitate prompt and efficient development of energy reserves in the NPR-A. It calls for a new plan and annual lease sales to develop NPR-A, which USGS estimates to hold more than 2.7 billion barrels of oil and 114.36 trillion cubic feet of gas. Currently, approximately one-half of the NPR-A is off-limits to energy development.
June 13, 2013 via Energy Solutions Forum
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