Congress

Three related reports delivered to Congress last Wednesday revealed the underbelly of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) that few knew about — one that involves drug usage, sex with oil industry contacts and between employees involved in the agency’s royalty-in-kind (RIK) program, as well as rigging of contracts and other financial misconduct at high levels.

Three related reports delivered to Congress Wednesday revealed the underbelly of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) that few knew about — one that involves drug usage, sex between employees involved in the agency’s royalty in-kind (RIK) program and financial/contract misconduct at high levels.

The Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) Monday touted its royalty-in-kind (RIK) program in an annual report to Congress, reporting that its benefits for fiscal year (FY) 2007 more than doubled those of the previous year.

In its sixth report to Congress, FERC said there has been “substantial progress towards development” of an Alaska natural gas pipeline since it last submitted a report earlier this year.

In a report to Congress Friday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said there has been “substantial progress towards development” of an Alaska natural gas pipeline since it last submitted a report earlier this year.

As Congress debated measures to rein in “excessive” energy futures market speculation last week, an Interagency Task Force on Commodity Markets, chaired by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), released an interim staff report that found fundamental supply and demand factors are largely the cause of escalating oil prices in the futures market.

Congress last week decided not to include the tax extenders for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the filibuster-proof budget “reconciliation bill,” which could significantly lower the odds for the House-passed renewable tax package to get through the Senate.

Three oversight groups Wednesday called on Congress to restore the level of the Department of Interior’s (DOI) audit and compliance staff responsible for recovering oil and natural gas royalties to the same level it was at in fiscal year (FY) 2000.

California could see the creation of 16,000 jobs and consumer savings on gas and power bills of about $1.85 billion by 2020 if Congress passes a national renewable energy standard. The jobs and savings would add to benefits realized from existing state goals, according to the Massachusetts-based Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which released a report earlier in July.