Department of Interior

Officials with the Interior Department want to make the protections for the Greater Sage Grouse even stronger with a plan that would eliminate loopholes that allowed development in areas considered crucial to the bird’s long-term survival.

The Interior Department’s rule raises royalty rates for oil drilling by more than one-third, to 16.67%. The previous rate of 12.5% had remained unchanged for a century.

The Bureau of Land Management finalized the Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska rule aimed at more than 13 million acres in the western Arctic.

The new rule aims to cut energy waste from venting, flaring, and leaks and is expected to help generate $50 million annually in additional natural gas royalty payments.

The department says the four areas, totaling 410,000 acres, have the potential to power 1.2 million homes.

The funding comes from the Investing in America agenda with the goal of addressing legacy pollution.

The Biden Administration plans for a maximum of three lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico from 2024 to 2029.

The lease auction aims to advance the president’s commitment to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030.

Revisions to the 2019 rule aim to bolster safe and environmentally responsible energy operations.

The bipartisan infrastructure law included $4.7 to start plugging wells. But the new federal money is creating logistical and regulatory challenges, raising questions about whether the money will live up to its promise.