Secretary

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced this week that the Department of Energy (DOE) will award $89.4 million to 19 states to weatherize the homes of low-income families to save energy as the nation faces a potential natural gas supply shortfall in the months ahead. The weatherization year for the 19 states took effect July 1.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham met privately with 39 energy companies and trade associations while the task force on which he sat developed President Bush’s national energy policy, but he held no meetings with representatives of environmental and consumer groups, according to The Center for Responsive Politics’ (CRP) review of Department of Energy (DOE) task-force documents that were released last week.

Expected to replace the current program expiring at the end of June, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton said last week that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) is proposing to schedule 20 lease sales in eight outer continental shelf (OCS) planning areas in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska as part of a new five-year leasing program. The proposed sale areas are in the Gulf of Mexico’s western, central and parts of the eastern planning areas, as well as Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, Norton Basin, Cook Inlet/Shelikof Strait and the Chukchi Sea/Hope Basin.

Expected to replace the current program expiring at the end of June, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton said Monday that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) is proposing to schedule 20 lease sales in eight outer continental shelf (OCS) planning areas in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska as part of a new five-year leasing program. The proposed sale areas are in the Gulf of Mexico’s western, central and parts of the eastern planning areas, as well as Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, Norton Basin, Cook Inlet/Shelikof Strait and the Chukchi Sea/Hope Basin.

Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton has announced the appointment of Rejane Medinger “Johnnie” Burton as director of the Minerals Management Service. Burton has served as director of Wyoming’s Department of Revenue since 1995, and is a former business owner and legislator in the state.

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said late Wednesday that the department has opened an investigation into Enron Corp. for potential mismanagement and abuse of the pension fund plans of existing and former company employees in the wake of the Houston-based energy trader’s financial meltdown.

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) has alerted Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta that it has re-established a “Cold-War vintage” task force to oversee the security and safety of interstate natural gas pipelines in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has announced that $3.6 million in grants will be awarded for 24 projects in 14 states to assist in the prevention of third-party damage to pipelines and other underground facilities.

In keeping with policy directives in President Bush’s national energy strategy, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced this week that the Department of Energy (DOE) will undertake a full-scale review of ongoing federal oil and natural gas research programs.