United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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Senate Energy Committee
Standing committee
Active
Seal of the United States Senate.svg
United States Senate
117th Congress
History
FormedFebruary 4, 1977
SucceededCommittee on Public Lands
Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
Leadership
ChairJoe Manchin (D)
Since February 3, 2021
Ranking memberJohn Barrasso (R)
Since February 3, 2021
Structure
Seats20 members[a]
Political partiesMajority (10)
  •   Democratic (8)
  •   Independent (2)
Minority (10)
Jurisdiction
Policy areasAlaska Natives, Coal mining, Energy industry, Federal lands, Hydrocarbon exploration, Hydroelectricity, Irrigation, Insular areas, Mining, Natural resource management, Nuclear power, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Reclamation, Renewable energy, Territorial possessions, Water resources
Oversight authorityAdvanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Energy Information Administration, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Insular Affairs, National Nuclear Safety Administration, National Park Service, Southeastern Power Administration, Southwestern Power Administration, Western Area Power Administration, United States Forest Service, United States Geological Survey
House counterpartHouse Committee on Energy and Commerce, House Committee on Natural Resources, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Subcommittees
Meeting place
304 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.
Website
www.energy.senate.gov
Rules
  1. ^ Democrats are in the majority due to the tiebreaking power of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves ex officio as the president of the Senate.

The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and mineral resources, including nuclear development; irrigation and reclamation, territorial possessions of the United States, trust lands appertaining to America's indigenous peoples, and the conservation, use, and disposition of federal lands. Its roots go back to the Committee on Interior and Insulars Affairs. In 1977, it became the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and most matters regarding Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians were removed from its jurisdiction and transferred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

History[]

The Committee on Public Lands was created in 1816 during the 14th Congress chaired by senator Jeremiah Morrow. In its early years, it managed the settlement of the recently purchased Missouri Territory. Over time, the committee oversaw the western expansion of the United States, including the Texas annexation, the Oregon Treaty, the Mexican Cession, and the Gadsden Purchase. The Homestead Act of 1860, which would have benefited western settlers and migrants, was a result of jurisdiction of the Public Lands Committee.

In 1849, the Department of the Interior was established, with the Public Lands Committee serving as legislative oversight. The committee became responsible for enacting legislation to conserve nature and its resources. Due to the actions of the committee, Congress began working towards preservation of forests, wilderness, and historical landmarks with the signing of the Antiquities Act in 1906 and the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916.

The committee has gone under a number of name changes, but the functions and policy have remained similar to its creation. In 1921, the committee merged with the Committee on Geological Surveys to become the Committee of Public Lands and Surveys. Following the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, it became the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, absorbing the jurisdiction of the Indian Affairs, Territorial and Insular Affairs, Mines and Mining, and Irrigation and Reclamation committees. Its most recent iteration, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, was established on February 4, 1977 after the Committee System Reorganization Amendments of 1977.[1]

Jurisdiction[]

In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:

  1. Coal production, distribution, and utilization;
  2. Energy policy;
  3. Energy regulation and conservation;
  4. Energy related aspects of deepwater ports;
  5. Energy research and development;
  6. Extraction of minerals from oceans and Outer Continental Shelf lands;
  7. Hydroelectric power, irrigation, and reclamation;
  8. Mining education and research;
  9. Mining, mineral lands, mining claims, and mineral conservation;
  10. National parks, recreation areas, wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, historical sites, military parks and battlefields, and on the public domain, preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of interest;
  11. Naval petroleum reserves in Alaska;
  12. Nonmilitary development of nuclear energy;
  13. Oil and gas production and distribution;
  14. Public lands and forests, including farming and grazing thereon, and mineral extraction therefrom;
  15. Solar energy systems; and,
  16. Territorial possessions of the United States, including trusteeships.[2]

The Committee is also charged to "study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to energy and resources development, and report thereon from time to time."[2]

Members, 117th Congress[]

Main article: 117th United States Congress
Majority Minority

Subcommittees[]

The Energy Committee has four subcommittees:

Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member
Energy Mazie Hirono (D-HI) John Hoeven (R-ND)
National Parks Angus King (I-ME) Steve Daines (R-MT)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) Mike Lee (R-UT)
Water and Power Ron Wyden (D-OR) Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)

Chairpersons[]

Committee on Public Lands, 1816–1921[]

Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, 1921–1947[]

  • Reed Smoot (R-UT) 1921–1923
  • Irvine L. Lenroot (R-WI) 1923–1924
  • Edwin F. Ladd (R-ND) 1924
  • Robert Nelson Stanfield (R-OR) 1924–1927
  • Gerald P. Nye (R-ND) 1927–1933
  • John B. Kendrick (D-WY) 1933
  • Robert F. Wagner (D-NY) 1933–1937
  • Alva B. Adams (D-CO) 1937–1941
  • Carl A. Hatch (D-NM) 1941–1947

Committee on Public Lands, 1947–1948[]

Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 1948–1977[]

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 1977–present[]

Historical committee rosters[]

116th Congress[]

Main article: 116th United States Congress
Majority Minority
Subcommittees
Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member
Energy Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
National Parks Steve Daines (R-MT) Angus King (I-ME)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining Mike Lee (R-UT) Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Water and Power Martha McSally (R-AZ) (until December 2, 2020) Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)


115th Congress[]

Majority Minority
Subcommittees
Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member
Energy Cory Gardner (R-CO) Joe Manchin (D-WV)
National Parks Steve Daines (R-MT) Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining Mike Lee (R-UT) Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Water and Power Jeff Flake (R-AZ) Angus King (I-ME)

Source [4]

See also[]

  • List of current United States Senate committees
  • The United States House Committee on Public Lands, was a predecessor of the United States House Committee on Resources

References[]

  1. ^ "History". U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 1986. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Rule XXV(g) of the United States Senate | U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration". United States Senate. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Sens. Sanders and King are independent, but caucus with Democrats.
  4. ^ "U.S. Senate: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources". www.senate.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2017.

External links[]

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