The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a Full Committee oversight hearing on Wednesday, April 17th to examine the difference in energy production and permitting on federal lands versus state and private lands.

While energy production on state and federal lands is flourishing, regulatory red tape and bureaucratic hurdles imposed by the Obama Administration are hindering energy production on federal lands. For example, total federal oil production is down 7 percent since President Obama took office. The total onshore acreage leased for the last four years under the Obama Administration is the lowest in over two decades, stretching back to 1988.

In addition, it takes on average 30 percent longer (307 days) for approval of an application for permit to drill on federal lands. By comparison, North Dakota has increased their oil production by nearly 800 percent and can approve permits to drill in 10 days.

It’s no surprise that multiple Congressional Research Service reports have confirmed that the recent increase in U.S. oil and natural production has taken place on non-federal lands.

“President Obama loves to take credit for the increase in U.S. oil production, but the facts show that it is happening in spite of his Administration’s policies, not because of them,” said Chairman Hastings. “State and private lands are largely beyond the regulatory reach of the Obama Administration and because of that they have become places of tremendous economic growth and job creation. The Committee will examine the success of state regulations at advancing energy development and see what lessons should be applied to federal lands.”

WHAT:	Full Committee oversight hearing on “State Lands vs. Federal Lands Oil and Gas Production: What State Regulators are Doing Right”
WHEN:	Wednesday, April 17, 2013 10:00 A.M.
WHERE:	1324 Hearing Room in the Longworth House Office Building

Visit the Committee Calendar for additional information, once it is made available. The meeting is open to the public and a live video stream will be broadcast at /live.

###

Printable PDF of this document