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| Wilson Compromise Again Strengthens Energy Bill |
April 20, 2005 |
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Wilson Proposal Limits Energy Exploration to 2000-Acre Footprint, Bridging Divide Between Competing Concerns
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson, who proposed the key compromise for the Energy bill in the 108th Congress, today said her compromise is now written directly into the Energy bill (page 977, line 10) being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives this week.
The Wilson compromise, offered as an amendment that was approved in both 2001 and most recently, by a vote of 226-202 on April 10, 2003, bridges competing concerns by promoting more energy exploration to reduce dependence on foreign oil, and reducing the environmental impact to a limited area of Alaska.
Wilson sponsored the compromise to limit the land that could be impacted by drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to just 2,000 acres of surface disturbance, an area about the size of an airport within an area the size of South Carolina.
“We need a long term, balanced energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and preserve the beauty of the land we love,” said Wilson, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “We’ve made tremendous progress in the last twenty years cleaning up the air, water and land and there’s no turning back. The good news is, we don’t have to.”
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee late April 13. Wilson is emphasizing the increasing importance of establishing a balanced, long term energy policy that will work toward lower fuel prices by reducing America’s dependence on foreign supplies. Wilson advocates a comprehensive strategy that includes energy exploration, encouraging conservation and development of renewable energy.
“When this committee considered comprehensive energy legislation three years ago oil was selling for around $20 dollars a barrel. This month, the price of oil topped $57 dollars a barrel,” Wilson said. “A comprehensive national energy policy is critical to our nation’s economy and our national security. Energy expenditures account for about 7 percent of our total economy and influence prices in the much of the rest of the economy.”
The House twice passed energy legislation in the 108th Congress, most recently on June 15, 2004 by a vote of 244-178.
Wilson Tribal Energy Resource Development Proposal Included in Energy Bill
A proposal by Rep. Wilson, also included in the legislation, will improve energy development (including electricity generation and renewable projects) on Indian lands. The amended legislation would authorize tribes to enter into agreements with the Secretary of Interior on the development of their energy resources.
These agreements, called Tribal Energy Resource Agreements, would allow Indian tribes the freedom to develop both traditional and renewable energy resources with rights similar to private land owners.
Tribal lands comprise about five percent of U.S. land, but hold an estimated 10 percent of all energy reserves in the United States, including 30 percent of known coal deposits in the West, five percent of known American onshore oil deposits and 10 percent of known onshore natural gas deposits.
The Department of the Interior estimates that only a quarter of oil resources, and less than one-fifth of gas resources on Indian lands have been developed, and the amendment helps limit delays in getting the required federal approvals. If a Tribe has an Energy Resource Agreement, tribes could pursue and approve energy development without obtaining prior approval from the Secretary of Interior on each individual project.
Participation by tribes would be voluntary and the tribal regulations must include a tribal environmental review process that allows for public comment. If petitioned, the U.S. Interior Secretary could review a tribe`s compliance with its own energy regulation and either suspend or rescind the agreements or the regulations.
The amendment would also establish an Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs within the Department of Energy and would authorize a federal grant and low-interest loan program to aid tribes in developing the necessary energy infrastructure and expertise.
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