Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
march 2017
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energy
Nuclear energy bill introduced in Senate
March 2, 2017
A bipartisan group of senators introduced the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (S.512) on March 2. The bill aims to modernize nuclear energy regulations and promote innovation in the nuclear sector.
S.512 focuses on reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) budget and fee programs, streamlining the licensing process for advanced nuclear technology, and improving the efficiency of uranium recovery licensing and regulation. The bill establishes transparency and accountability measures related to the NRC’s fee calculations, and limits the amount the NRC may charge in fees. Approximately 90 percent of the NRC’s budget comes from these charges to its applicants and license holders.
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works reviewed S.512 and reported to the full Senate chamber for further consideration without amendment on March 22.
Source: Congress.gov
Interior Secretary proposed 73-million acre lease sale for Gulf of Mexico
March 6, 2017
The Department of the Interior (DOI) will offer 73 million acres, including all available areas in the Gulf of Mexico, for oil and gas exploration and development, according to an announcement from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on March 6. The proposed lease sale is scheduled for August 16.
As of March 1, 2017, there are about 16.9 million acres on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf that are under lease for oil and gas development, with over 97 percent of these leases in the Gulf.
Lease Sale 249 will be the first of ten region-wide lease sales under the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022 (Five Year Program).
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior
Bill to stimulate investment in offshore energy development
March 15, 2017
On March 15, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced a bill that would authorize more lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
S.665, the Unleashing American Energy Act of 2017, would enable the Department of the Interior (DOI) to add additional lease sales to an existing five-year program.
Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), the Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the approval of oil and gas exploration and development on the continental shelf of the United States. Currently, only six percent of the OCS is available for energy production. S.665 would amend the OCSLA to offer new lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and additional lease areas off the coast of Alaska.
This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Sources: Congress.gov, House.gov, NOAA.gov, Senate.gov
Executive order undoes much of Obama’s climate legacy
March 28, 2017
President Donald Trump issued an executive order “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth” on March 28. The order rescinds several environmental regulations instituted under the Obama Administration. It contains provisions that target various energy sectors, including coal, natural gas, and other domestic sources of energy.
The order directs federal agencies to review and, if appropriate, eliminate any rules that hinder energy production, restrict economic growth, and prevent job creation. The order directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate the Clean Power Plan and any related rules or guidance issued by the agency. The Department of the Interior’s (DOI) coal leasing moratorium on federal land, which restricted issuance of new coal leases on federal lands, will be lifted under this order.
President Trump’s order also revokes several of Obama’s executive actions, including a 2016 memorandum identifying climate change as a national security issue, a 2015 memorandum encouraging private investment in natural resource restoration, a 2013 executive order directing agencies to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change, and the 2013 report of the President’s Climate Action Plan.
Several of these rules are currently in litigation and have not come into effect yet.
Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, White House Office of the Press Secretary