(WO) – The Energy Workforce and Technology Council issued a statement applauding the passage of H.R. 4821, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024. This bill passed in a bipartisan vote of 213 to 203.
The legislation includes provisions advanced by Energy Workforce, including limiting the abuse of the Endangered Species Act. Provisions specific to endangered species include the prohibition of listing both the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard and Lesser Prairie-Chicken.
“The passage of H.R. 4821 is a resounding win for landowner rights and American energy security,” said Tim Tarpley, President of Energy Workforce and Technology Council. “As energy demand continues to grow, we must fight for policies that are friendly to American oil and gas, allowing increased production to match global demand. We have serious concerns that a listing of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard and the Lesser Prairie Chicken may be used as a tool to curtail U.S. energy production. We cannot allow governance by red tape to imperil prosperity in the Permian basin.”
Further, the package requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales, directly responding to the administration’s recently released offshore five-year leasing plan. The administration’s new plan decreases the number of offshore lease sales from eleven to three over a span of five years. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico boasts approximately half the carbon intensity of other producing regions and supports the jobs of 375,000 Americans.
“Oil and gas produced in the Gulf is some of the cleanest energy produced anywhere in the world,” said Tarpley. “The recently released offshore five-year leasing plan is insufficient to meet U.S. energy needs. Under this new appropriation package, at least 20 lease sales would be required, granting oil and gas companies the ability to continue offshore production, providing American energy security and saving the jobs of thousands of workers.”
