Energy (Oil & Gas)

HR 2820, the California Clean Coast Act of 2025, prohibits new oil and gas leasing and related activities in federal waters off California's coast starting from its enactment date. This directly affects oil and gas companies seeking to develop new offshore resources in California’s outer Continental Shelf areas. The bill preserves existing leases issued before the law’s effective date but bans all future preleasing, leasing, and related activities in those waters. It represents a permanent federal policy change for California’s coastal offshore regions, with no impact on current leaseholders.

This bill automatically approves U.S. natural gas export applications to NATO member countries and Ukraine for three years after enactment, removing delays or modifications. It directly affects U.S. LNG exporters (who gain faster approvals) and NATO/Ukraine (who secure guaranteed supply). The key provision streamlines export authorization under the Natural Gas Act for these specific partners during the 3-year period. The bill aims to strengthen energy security ties by prioritizing U.S. gas over alternatives from adversaries, citing Ukraine's energy needs during Russia's invasion.

This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exclusive authority to approve or deny applications for LNG terminals (including those for export or import). It requires FERC to deem such projects "consistent with the public interest" when making decisions. The bill also clarifies that the President retains existing authority under laws like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to block LNG exports to countries designated as "state sponsors of terrorism." This directly affects LNG terminal developers and FERC, streamlining approval processes while preserving presidential sanctions powers.

This bill streamlines approval for natural gas exports by creating an expedited process under the Natural Gas Act. It removes the requirement for formal approval orders when exporting to Canada or Mexico. Exports to nations under U.S. sanctions or designated by the President/Congress for national security reasons are excluded from the expedited process. The bill directly affects natural gas exporters seeking to expand international sales, primarily changing the application and approval procedures for foreign markets.

HJRES 43 is a procedural resolution seeking congressional disapproval of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule. It targets the EPA's "New Source Performance Standards Review for Volatile Organic Liquid Storage Vessels" rule (published in the Federal Register on October 15, 2024), which established emissions standards for storage tanks at oil and chemical facilities. The resolution, if passed, would nullify this EPA rule, preventing it from taking effect and directly affecting petroleum and chemical storage facilities required to comply with the emissions standards. This is a formal disapproval action under federal law, not a new policy.

This bill repeals Section 136 of the Clean Air Act, which established an incentive program for reducing methane emissions and waste in natural gas and petroleum systems. It directly affects natural gas and petroleum companies that previously participated in this program by eliminating their eligibility for related incentives. The bill also rescinds any unobligated funds allocated under that program before its repeal. This is a direct policy change removing a specific federal incentive mechanism, not a tax change.

This bill directs the U.S. Treasury Secretary to instruct U.S. representatives at major international financial institutions (like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank) to oppose and reverse restrictions on financing coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy projects. It requires these institutions to eliminate policies blocking such financing and ties 50% of U.S. funding for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to certification that these restrictions have been removed. The bill aims to increase access to energy financing for developing countries by promoting these specific energy sources, with annual reports to Congress tracking progress. It directly affects how U.S. funds are used at global banks and the energy project options available to developing nations.

Offshore Energy Security Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct two offshore oil and gas lease sales per year for 10 years in the Gulf of Mexico Region Program Area, places a moratorium on oil and gas leases in certain areas, and establishes related requirements. Interior must offer at least 74 million acres for each offshore lease sale in such region. The bill stipulates the terms and conditions of such leases. Interior must also carry out the lease sales in accordance with the Record of Decision approved by Interior on January 17, 2017. Interior may waive certain requirements under the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program that would delay final approval of those lease sales. In addition, the bill prohibits such lease sales from being invalidated as a result of lawsuits relating to environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. It also limits delays to the lease sales as a result of the lawsuits. Finally, the bill extends through 2035 a moratorium on oil and gas leasing in (1) any area east of the Military Mission Line in the Gulf of Mexico; (2) any area in the Eastern Planning Area that is within 125 miles of Florida's coastline; and (3) certain areas in the Central Planning Area, including specified areas along Florida's coastline. It also places a moratorium through 2035 on oil and gas leasing in the South Atlantic Planning Area or the Straits of Florida Planning Area.

This bill (SJRES 91) seeks congressional disapproval of a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule authorizing oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Coastal Plain. It directly affects the BLM's ability to implement this leasing program by aiming to block the rule under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The resolution would nullify the rule (issued December 2024) if passed, preventing the BLM from moving forward with leasing activities in the Coastal Plain area. The resolution references a Government Accountability Office opinion confirming the rule qualifies for disapproval under the CRA.

The COAST Anti-Drilling Act of 2025 prohibits new oil and gas leasing in four specific coastal planning areas of the outer Continental Shelf: the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida. It amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the Secretary not to issue any leases or authorizations for exploration or production in these areas. The bill directly affects oil and gas companies seeking to develop resources in these coastal regions by blocking new federal leasing activities. This policy change prevents future drilling permits in these designated zones, as defined in the 2023 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management leasing program.