House Natural Resources Committee advances 4 energy-related bills

Four bills that seek to advance U.S. energy development and increase funds to public schools were approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources this week.

“These bills will benefit the American taxpayer by cutting red tape and streamlining permitting processes in order to lower energy costs, create jobs, and increase funding for public schools across the nation,” Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) said.

The Ending Duplicative Permitting Act, H.R. 6107, was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) and seeks to guarantee that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cannot require permits for oil and gas drilling on private or state-owned land.

U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) bill, Removing Barriers to Energy Independence Act, H.R. 6087 empowers the Secretary of the Interior to initiate the process of charging for the right to protest oil and gas lease sales, as well as applications for permits to drill and right-of-way applications.

“The energy industry, the lifeblood of our economy in Wyoming, has been severely burdened by lengthy and often frivolous protests on energy projects,” Cheney said. “I’m proud my bill will help stop the abuses of this system by charging a nominal fee for protests of oil and gas lease sales, applications for permit to drill, and right of way applications.”

Meanwhile, the Streamlining Permitting Efficiency in Energy Development Act, H.R. 6088, was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-UT). It would reorganize the oil and gas permitting process by allowing BLM to speed up the approval process of non-harmful drilling activities.

“This bill will help ensure that Utah’s rural communities are growing by speeding up the burdensome approval process for responsible energy projects. I’m delighted to see this legislation move forward. It’s a victory for Utah and American energy independence,” Curtis said.

Lastly is legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO) that would benefit the nation’s schools. The Education and Energy Act of 2018, H.R. 5859, would alter the Mineral Leasing Act. In so doing, it opens a portion of federal revenue from mineral and geothermal leases to states, specifically for supplementing education of K-12 institutions and public support of higher education institutions.

“This bill would allow us to provide more funding for K-12 and public higher education, all while creating good paying jobs, lowering energy prices, and setting the stage for U.S. energy resources to be exported to our allies,” Tipton said.

“Property taxes continue to be the largest source of funding for the public school system, so in rural counties in my district, where a majority of land is owned by the federal government and therefore not taxable, education budgets are tight. The Education and Energy Act would fix this disparity by sending more of the federal revenues back to the county from which the royalties were derived.”

The proposals have received support from such institutions as the American Petroleum Institute, the Western Energy Alliance and the International Association of Drilling Contractors.