Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced the American Energy Act, which she says will “cut red tape to unleash American energy, streamline the energy permitting process, reduce gas prices, and eliminate frivolous lawsuits threatening American energy independence.”
The legislation, H.R. 1067, would reduce the backlog at the Bureau of Land Management by extending the length of drill permits from two years to four years.
Extending the length, according to Rep. Boebert’s office, will allow producers to spend more time creating energy and less time jumping through bureaucratic hoops.
“The Biden administration is colluding with Green New Deal extremists to slow down energy leasing, clog up the bureaucratic pipeline, and threaten American energy producers with frivolous lawsuits,” Boebert said in a press release provided to Timcast News. “My American Energy Act cuts red tape to unleash American energy by extending the term of APDs from two years to four years to reduce unnecessary paperwork, ensuring agencies process permits under a valid existing lease regardless of any unrelated civil action, and by prohibiting activist judges from unilaterally vacating valid energy leases.”
Boebert continued, “in short, H.R. 1067 will help reduce gas prices by providing certainty for responsible energy production and preventing baseless litigation. With the price at the pump skyrocketing and the international energy market destabilizing, the world needs American energy now more than ever.”
Boebert’s office says that the Biden administration has intentionally delayed processing responsible energy permit applications to halt American energy production.
Under the Trump administration, drilling permit review times averaged 94 days in June 2019 — but under the Biden administration, the wait time has nearly doubled. Drilling permit reviews averaged 182 days in Fiscal Year 2021.
“Under the Trump administration, the Bureau of Land Management approved nearly 400 drilling permits monthly in Fiscal Year 2020,” Boebert’s office said. “The permitting process has been severely slowed down under the Biden administration, with the Bureau of Land Management approving only an average of 233 drilling permits per month in Fiscal Year 2022. This has created an unmanageable backlog, and as of September 30, 2022, a total of 4,609 Applications for Permits to Drill (APDs) were still pending Bureau of Land Management approval.”
Groups supporting Rep. Lauren Boebert’s American Energy Act include: Heritage Action, Americans for Limited Government, Colorado Oil & Gas Association, Western Energy Alliance, West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association, US Oil and Gas Association, Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico, EnerGeo Alliance, and New Mexico Oil & Gas Association.
The bill is being cosponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, Rep. Eric Burlison, Rep. Paul Gosar, Rep. Harriet Hageman, Rep. Doug Lamborn, Rep. Barry Moore, Rep. Troy Nehls, Rep. Andy Ogles, Rep. Pete Stauber, Rep. Ben Cline, Chip Roy, and Rep. Tom Tiffany.
“Joe Biden has purposely sabotaged domestic oil production by slow-walking drilling permits with endless red tape and frivolous legal disputes that are hurting every American,” Rep. Paul Gosar said of the bill. “I am proud to support this common-sense legislation to halt these delays and put America back on a track towards energy independence.”
Tim Stewart, President of U.S. Oil and Gas Association, endorsed the bill, saying “the federal leasing and permitting process under this Administration has gone completely off the rails. Leases and permits remain tied up in courts while valuable federal mineral assets that exist for the sole purpose of use by the American people remain unavailable. Representative Boebert’s legislation provides the much needed degree of certainty energy producers need to be able to develop these assets on behalf of the American people.”
