House Resources Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo (R-CA) reintroduced legislation (H.R. 5429) this week that would open 2,000 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas drilling. “There is no logical reason to oppose safe energy exploration and production on ANWR’s northern coastal plain,” Pombo said, adding that President Jimmy Carter created the 20 million-acre area in 1980, setting aside 1.5 million acres on the northern coastal plain for the specific purpose of future energy exploration and development. The 2,000 acres requested to be opened to drilling in ANWR’s 1002 area would be a small fraction of that total, yet it could provide 10.4 billion bbl of recoverable oil, which is more than double the proven reserves in the state of Texas, Pombo said. He predicted that peak oil production from the area being set aside could total 1.5 million bbl/d, which is nearly equal to what the U.S. imports from Saudi Arabia every day.
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Articles from House
CA Governor Orders Gasoline Price Probe
Mirroring actions being taken by the White House, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday asked the California Energy Commission (CEC), whose primary role is siting power plants and funding alternative energy programs, to investigate the causes behind the current spike in gasoline prices that has driven regular, self-service supplies above $3/gallon. Schwarzenegger made his request in a letter to CEC Chairman Joseph Desmond.
House Dem Presses MMS to Justify Greater Royalty Relief for Shallow-Water Gas
Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) a senior member of the House Resources Committee, on Monday asked the head of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) to explain why producers are being given greater royalty relief for natural gas produced from deep wells in shallow water than for wells drilled in the deep waters of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
White House Sends FERC Nominations to Capitol Hill
In a surprise move, the White House has sent the Senate the nominations of a Colorado attorney and a Washington, DC energy executive to fill the two vacant seats at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. If confirmed by the Senate, this would be the first time since December 2003 that the five-member Commission will be operating at full capacity.
Florida Congressmen Take Aim at Interior’s Five-Year Leasing Plan
Florida House lawmakers this week attacked the Interior Department’s five-year leasing plan (2007-2012) for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that would open up additional acreage in the natural gas-rich eastern Gulf of Mexico for leasing to producers.
CA State Lawmaker to Push New Energy Conservation Law
Showing the first signs of interest in energy after five weeks back in session in Sacramento, the chairman of California’s lower house Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee Thursday announced that he and two major environmental groups plan to use Valentine’s Day to promote a new state law designed to boost energy conservation. Presumably it will attempt to marshal public sector utilities, as well as private sector ones, in a stepped up effort.
Pombo Compromise Could Allow Drilling in Energy-Rich Eastern Gulf
A compromise under negotiation on offshore drilling between House Resources Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo, R-CA, and Florida politicians could result in the leasing and drilling in about 70% of the eastern Gulf of Mexico area off the Florida coast that is expected to contain huge reserves.
House Panel Drops Proposal Giving FERC Gathering Authority
The House Energy and Commerce Committee late Wednesday dropped a proposal that would have given the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the authority to regulate rates for gathering service in the federal waters.
House Draft Would Give FERC Authority to Regulate Offshore Gathering Rates
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is floating a discussion draft of a bill that would, among other things, give FERC the authority to regulate the rates for natural gas gathering service on the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), said energy analyst Christine Tezak.
House Resources Panel to Tackle Follow-Up Energy Bill on Wednesday
As a follow-up to the recently enacted omnibus energy bill, the House Resources Committee will begin mark-up on Wednesday of a measure aimed at authorizing exploration and production in Alaska’s arctic region and relaxing the moratorium to allow interested coastal states to explore for oil and natural gas off their shores.
