FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on Barriers to Energy Development on Tribal Lands

Original title: TRIBAL ENERGY RESOURCES: REDUCING BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITY

January 1, 2018

tribal energy economic development federal regulation tribal sovereignty natural resources

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses federal regulatory policies that influence the economic development potential and revenue-generating capacity of tribal lands containing significant U.S. energy reserves.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Tribal Nations

Tribal governments are subject to federal trust management and regulatory processes when seeking to develop energy resources on their lands.

Bureau of Indian Affairs

The agency is responsible for the management of tribal lands and the administration of regulatory oversight for energy projects.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This House subcommittee hearing examined the regulatory challenges tribes face when attempting to develop energy resources on their lands. Witnesses and committee members discussed how federal trust management and complex regulations impact the ability of tribes to utilize coal, oil, and natural gas reserves for economic growth.

Key Facts

Tribal lands contain an estimated 30 percent of U.S. coal reserves west of the Mississippi.
Tribal lands contain an estimated 20 percent of known U.S. natural gas and oil reserves.
The Crow Nation in Montana holds approximately 9 billion tons of coal.
Native Americans are statistically twice as likely to live in poverty compared to the general U.S. population.
Most tribal land is held in trust by the Federal Government, requiring Bureau of Indian Affairs oversight for development.
Energy development projects on tribal lands currently face higher costs than similar projects on private or non-tribal federal lands due to regulatory burdens.
The hearing took place on July 17, 2018, in the Rayburn House Office Building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it harder to develop energy on tribal land than on private land?

The hearing identified that tribal land is by the federal government, which imposes specific regulatory requirements and oversight by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that increase costs and complexity.

What energy resources are located on tribal lands?

Tribal lands contain significant coal, oil, and natural gas reserves, including 30 percent of coal reserves west of the Mississippi and 20 percent of known oil and gas reserves.

Why It Matters

The hearing addresses federal regulatory policies that influence the economic development potential and revenue-generating capacity of tribal lands containing significant U.S. energy reserves.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Regulatory Cost Disparity

The hearing highlights a documented cost disadvantage for energy projects on tribal lands compared to private or non-tribal federal lands.

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Connected Entities

personAdam Red“Councilman of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe”Map →

personAlvin Not Afraid, Jr.“Chairman of the Crow Tribe of Indians”Map →

organizationBureau of Indian Affairs“Federal agency responsible for managing tribal lands held in trust”Map →

organizationDepartment of Interior“Parent department of the Bureau of Indian Affairs”Map →

personGreg Gianforte“Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment”Map →

locationCrow Nation“Tribe in Montana with approximately 9 billion tons of coal reserves”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools