POWER Act

Bill: 118-s-319
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]
Introduced: 2023-02-09
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Coal

Forests, forestry, trees

Land use and conservation

Licensing and registrations

Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

Metals

Mining

Oil and gas

Strategic materials and reserves
Latest action: action_date: 2023-02-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-02-09
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Protecting Our Wealth of Energy Resources Act of 2023 or the POWER Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the President and federal agencies to obtain the approval of Congress before prohibiting or substantially delaying certain new energy or mineral leases or permits on federal lands. Specifically, approval must be obtained for new (1) oil and gas leases, drill permits, approvals, or authorizations; (2) coal leases, permits, approvals, or authorizations; and (3) mineral patents, leases, permits, approvals, or authorizations.</p> <p>In addition, the President and agencies must obtain the approval of Congress before withdrawing certain federal lands from mineral and geothermal leasing activities.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 319 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 9, 2023 Ms. Lummis (for herself, Mr. Barrasso , Mr. Braun , Mrs. Britt , Mrs. Capito , Mr. Cotton , Mr. Cramer , Mr. Crapo , Mr. Cruz , Mr. Hoeven , Mr. Johnson , Mr. Lankford , Mr. Lee , Mr. Marshall , Mr. Risch , Mr. Tuberville , Mr. Wicker , and Mr. Mullin ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To prohibit the President from issuing moratoria on leasing and permitting energy and minerals on certain Federal land.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Our Wealth of Energy Resources Act of 2023 or the POWER Act . 2. Prohibition on moratoria of new energy leases on certain Federal land and on withdrawal of Federal land from energy development (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Federal land (A) In general The term Federal land means— (i) National Forest System land; (ii) public lands (as defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1702 )); (iii) the outer Continental Shelf (as defined in section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ( 43 U.S.C. 1331 )); and (iv) land managed by the Secretary of Energy. (B) Inclusion The term Federal land includes land described in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A) for which the rights to the surface estate or subsurface estate are owned by a non-Federal entity. (2) Mineral The term mineral means any mineral subject to sections 2319 through 2344 of the Revised Statutes (commonly known as the Mining Law of 1872 ) ( 30 U.S.C. 22 et seq. ), and minerals located on lands acquired by the United States (as defined in section 2 of the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands ( 30 U.S.C. 351 )). (3) President The term President means the President or any designee, including— (A) the Secretary of Agriculture; (B) the Secretary of Energy; and (C) the Secretary of the Interior. (b) Prohibitions (1) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President shall not carry out any action that would prohibit or substantially delay the issuance of any of the following on Federal land, unless such an action has been authorized by an Act of Congress: (A) New oil and gas leases, drill permits, approvals, or authorizations. (B) New coal leases, permits, approvals, or authorizations. (C) New mineral patents, leases, permits, approvals, or authorizations. (2) Prohibition on withdrawal Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may not withdraw any Federal land from forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, or disposition under laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials unless the withdrawal has been authorized by an Act of Congress.