One of the biggest areas of contention between the oil industry and the Obama administration involves the length of time needed to win approval for drilling on public lands.
The two sides can't even agree on who is responsible for approval times. While Bureau of Land Management's statistics show it reviews completed applications as fast or faster than under the Bush administration, industry officials say those numbers are misleading. And they note that the total time to go through the process is still seven months or more.
House Agriculture Conservation, Energy, and Forestry Subcommittee hearing, "National Forest Management and its Impacts on Rural Economies and Communities." USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell to testify.
The fight over a proposed road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge prompted Alaska Sen. Mark Begich on Friday to lash out at fellow Democrat Rep. Edward Markey.
Markey this week called on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to resist lobbying by the Alaska delegation in support of the project sought by the fishing village of King Cove. Begich on Friday called Markey "typical of those of national Democrats who fail to understand the needs of Americans who live in the West, especially in some of the most remote and extreme parts of our nation such as Alaska."
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After coming in $400 million over budget following last year's busy fire season, the Forest Service is altering its approach and may let more fires burn instead of attacking every one.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — She doesn't wear a cowboy hat favored by traditional picks for interior secretary. Sally Jewell prefers fleece and Gore-Tex jackets and wears a safety helmet when she needs it for scaling cliffs, skiing or kayaking.
Two key Senate Republicans on Thursday held back endorsements of Interior secretary nominee Sally Jewell but also declined to name problems that could stop her confirmation, signaling she faces no major hurdles for now.
After a three-hour hearing confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, ranking Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Jewell came away as a credible nominee despite some unfamiliarity with public lands policy specifics.
Interior secretary nominee Sally Jewell on Thursday sailed through her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee after promising to balance conservation and energy development on public lands.
Jewell emphasized that she was familiar with issues facing public lands from her career as a petroleum engineer, commercial banker and CEO of outdoor gear retail giant REI.
"How did you get appointed by this administration?" joked Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. "It sounds like someone a Republican president would appoint."
The American Petroleum Institute said the EPA ignored federal law by shortening the public comment period for its regulation to cut sulfur content in fuel, The Hill reports.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., apologized for referencing the Oklahoma tornadoes while criticizing Republicans on climate change during his weekly Senate speech, Fox News reports.
Harold Brooks, a researcher at the National Severe Storms Laboratory, said powerful tornadoes can't be blamed on climate change without more data, Bloomberg reports.
Despite successful tornado warnings in Oklahoma, Congress currently plans to let furloughs for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters take effect, Politico reports.
Tesla Motors' plan to repay its Energy Department loan as early as today offers President Obama a major victory after two years of criticism for his clean-energy plans, Bloomberg reports.
A poll from Yale and George Mason universities found a majority believe national leaders should put priority on combatting global warming and developing clean energy, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The European Union's probe into possible energy price manipulation has brought focus to oil companies' trading desks, units that sometimes take more risks than Wall Street firms, Reuters reports.
Indonesian authorities arrested Chevron executive Bachtiar Abdul on corruption charges despite a 2012 court order clearing him of wrongdoing, Reuters reports.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said his country and Pakistan should expand cooperation on power generation to help alleviate Pakistan's energy crisis, Reuters reports.
