Tag Archives: Department of the Interior (DOI)

Common Sense Comes To Windmills

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On Tuesday, The Department of the Interior posted a Press Release detailing the Department’s changing policy on wind energy.

The Press Release states:

Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced four policy measures to advance President Donald J. Trump’s commonsense approach to affordable, reliable energy development in America.

In alignment with President Donald J. Trump’s directives, the Department of the Interior is ending special treatment for unreliable energy sources, such as wind. This includes evaluating whether to stop onshore wind development on some federal lands and halting future offshore wind lease sales. The Department will also study how constructing and operating wind turbines might affect migratory bird populations.

These changes are part of a broader America First energy strategy focused on affordability, reliability, and accountability for the American people. As part of efforts to support a stable power grid and elevate local voices, the Department will improve consultation with tribes, local communities, and the fishing industry regarding offshore wind projects. The latest reforms aim to ensure that energy development reflects local land-use priorities and community values.

“These policy changes represent a commonsense approach to energy that puts Americans’ interests first,” said Secretary Doug Burgum. “Leveling the playing field in permitting supports energy development that’s reliable, affordable, and built to last. We’re also making sure tribes and local communities have a real seat at the table. This move is about responsible energy growth that works for every American.”

These are the highlights of the Press Release:

Stopping Preferential Treatment for Wind Projects

Restoring Congress’s Mandate to Consider All Uses of Our Public Lands and Waters Equally

Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement for Offshore Wind Development 

Reviewing the Consequences of Developing Wind Turbines on Migratory Birds 

Wind energy is another concept that was not fully thought out before it was implemented. The impact of offshore windmills on whales and other marine life that uses sonar to navigate and the consequences of a blade malfunctioning or disintegrating have not been fully considered. The impact of onshore windmills on eagles and other birds has also been ignored. Let’s get back to a level playing field in terms on energy generation and let the free market prevail.

Re-Evaluating Coastal Wind Energy

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On Wednesday, The Washington Free Beacon posted an article about President Trump’s halting construction of a massive offshore wind project being built in federal waters off the coast of New York and ordering a sprawling review of existing offshore wind permits.

The re-evaluation of coastal wind energy is a good idea. One of the blades in the wind farm off of New England broke apart and contaminated oysters and mussels with hazardous fiberglass particles that can cause harm to humans (article here). Another windmill was hit by lightning, also causing damage to the environment.

The article at The Washington Free Beacon reports:

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday to order foreign energy developer Equinor to cease all construction activities on its Empire Wind project, according to a memorandum obtained by the Free Beacon. Burgum said the Biden administration green-lit permits for the project and ultimately approved it without conducting proper analysis.

“Approval for the project was rushed through by the prior administration without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies as relates to the potential effects from the project,” Burgum wrote. He said the halt on Empire Wind will be in effect indefinitely until further review is completed to “address these serious deficiencies.”

Burgum additionally ordered Interior Department staff to continue a review of federal wind permitting practices related to both existing and pending permits and approvals.

…But the memorandum Wednesday is a significant victory for the fishing industry, wildlife advocates, and local grassroots groups that have vociferously opposed offshore wind development. Critics argue the planned industrialization of American oceans will devastate marine-based industries, harm wildlife like whales, interfere with military operations, and disrupt scenic beach views that are critical for tourism revenue in coastal communities.

Heeding those arguments and following through on a central campaign promise, President Donald Trump paused new approvals, permits, leases, and loans for wind projects until the Department of the Interior completes a full assessment of how such projects were approved under the Biden administration. Burgum’s halt of the Empire Wind project represents the first action of its kind since Trump ordered that review three months ago.

There may come a day in the future when offshore wind energy is a good idea, but we are not there yet. The number of dead whales who washed ashore during the construction of wind farms should have been enough to stop their construction.

The Numbers Keep Growing

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On Saturday, Breitbart posted the latest numbers from the Department of Government Efficiency Audit (DOGE) of our federal government. It is very obvious that any oversight on government spending that was supposed to come from Congress or from various inspectors general has not happened.

The article reports:

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has saved U.S. taxpayers roughly $150 billion, according to the latest update.

DOGE updated its website again this week with the latest figures on massive savings for the American people. According to this update, U.S. taxpayer savings now reach $150 billion — up from $140 billion in the last update. That results in a savings of $931.68 per taxpayer.

…The latest wall of receipts displays 7,279 contract terminations totaling $25 billion in savings. For example, it shows a Department of the Interior contract listing Family Endeavors, Inc as the vendor. The description reads:

Office of Refugee Resettlement Influx Care Facility. Influx Care Facility (ICF) for up to 3,000 unaccompanied alien children (UAC). The contract provided facilities and full wraparound child care and case management services.

The cancellation of that contract resulted in $2,902,177,562 in savings, according to DOGE.

DOGE also showcases 9,283 grant terminations totaling $33 billion in savings, as well as 676 lease terminations totaling $400 million in savings.

At the time of this writing, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stood as the federal agency generating the most savings, followed by the Department of Education and General Services Administration. Those generating the least savings include the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, and Department of Veterans Affairs.

How has this waste and fraud continued for so many years without someone becoming aware of it and doing something about it?

Killing The Alaskan Economy

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On Thursday, The Daily Wire posted an article about some new Biden administration policies that will destroy the economy of Alaska.

The article reports:

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it would be canceling oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve and move to ban drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. 

The announcement from the Department of the Interior means that seven leases for drilling given during the Trump administration will be rescinded and that 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve will be off limits for drilling if the proposed rule is approved. The leases were held by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and encompassed 365,775 acres. 

“Alaska is home to many of America’s most breathtaking natural wonders and culturally significant areas. As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. 

The announcement was opposed by top Alaskan officials, including Governor Mike Dunleavy and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. 

“Today the Biden Administration announced that it is cancelling legally-issued oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge section designated for oil and gas development. The leases AIDEA holds in ANWR were properly acquired in a sale mandated by Congress,” Dunleavy posted on X. “It’s clear that President Biden needs a refresher on the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine. Federal agencies don’t get to rewrite laws, and that is exactly what the Department of the Interior is trying to do here.”

The article concludes:

Despite the fact that Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline expansion and aggressively pushed green energy, climate activists are still angry at Biden after he allowed the Willow oil project in Alaska’s North Slope to go forward, which could end up yielding 180,000 gallons of oil per day. The decision to end the leases and block drilling comes as gas prices across the country remain high. 

Hopefully the government of Alaska will bring a lawsuit that will go to the Supreme Court. This is government overreach.

Promises Made, Promises Broken

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On Thursday, The Financial Post reported that the Biden administration had failed to deliver the proposed five-year offshore oil and gas development plan that had been promised by the end of the month, according to sources.

The article reports:

Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland in May had vowed to unveil the draft proposal ahead of the June 30 expiration of the current plan. The department will not be able to hold any offshore oil and gas lease sales until a new plan is finalized.

Briefings with officials meant to take place Thursday ahead of a public announcement were unexpectedly delayed, according to sources. The reason and length of the delay were unclear.

I will be honest, I am not a big fan of offshore drilling, but it is a fact of life, and it needs to be planned and controlled. The Biden administration’s dragging their feet on this is not helping anyone.

The article notes:

Interior had recommended to the White House that all federal offshore oil and gas drilling auctions over the next five years be located in the Gulf of Mexico, where the drilling industry has already been focused for decades, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The White House could make changes to include other regions.

The expected proposal comes as U.S. President Joe Biden seeks to balance his goal to transition the country away from fossil fuels against a Congressional requirement to hold regular drilling auctions, and intense political pressure to boost energy supplies to ease soaring inflation.

In recent years, the Interior Department has leased areas off the coast of Alaska. And former President Donald Trump had proposed a vast expansion of drilling sales to cover more than 90% of coastal waters, including areas off California that had not been offered since the 1980s and new zones in the Atlantic and Arctic. Those plans were blocked by legal challenges.

Just for the record, we do not currently have the technology to transition from fossil fuels to green energy. If the government would get out of the energy business, the free market would probably develop the technology, but we do not currently have it. Currently, the quest for green energy resembles the historic quest for a perpetual motion machine. The laws of physics make that an impossible dream. In 2021 more than 200 people lost their lives in Texas due to a cold snap that stopped the windmills they depended on for power from providing electricity. In 2014 I posted an article about what happened when Spain tried to transition to green energy. It wasn’t pretty. We don’t need to repeat their mistake.

UPDATE:  On July 1st, The Hill reported:

The Biden administration is punting a decision on whether to open up more lease sales for offshore drilling.

    • In a statement issued Friday, the administration said it is still working on a plan, and that when issued it could include as many as 11 specific lease sales for offshore oil and gas drilling or as few as zero.
    • An Interior Department official said equal weight is being given to scenarios with zero sales, some sales or all 11 sales.

The statement and department’s proposal for the program’s future was issued one day after a previous five-year offshore drilling plan expired. That plan had been launched by the Obama administration.

Is The Biden Administration Required To Follow The Law?

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On Wednesday, The Daily Caller posted an article about the Biden administration’s ability to ignore laws that they don’t like.

The article reports:

The Biden administration missed another deadline to hold quarterly onshore oil drilling lease sales after a federal court ruled it was legally required to do so.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) defied the June 2021 court ruling which ordered the administration to halt its ban on new oil and gas leases, the Western Energy Alliance — a fossil fuel industry group that challenged the ban — said Wednesday. In August 2021, the DOI vowed to publish notices of competitive sales in December and hold a lease sale 45 days later, two promises it failed to keep, in court filings.

“President Biden just told the American people he’ll work like the devil to lower prices at the gas pump. But the lack of progress on federal lease sales means he’s not trying very hard,” Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, said in a statement. “The department continues to miss deadlines, drag its feet, and ignore a judge’s ruling to hold sales.”

The article concludes:

President Joe Biden has pushed an aggressive anti-fossil fuel agenda since taking office, nixing the Keystone XL pipeline, ditching an oil drilling project in Alaska and staying silent on a court ruling that prohibited a massive offshore drilling lease in the Gulf of Mexico. The White House has appealed to Middle Eastern and Russian energy producers for more oil and natural gas production.

Still, Biden promised Tuesday that he would “work like the devil” to ensure gasoline prices declined.

“The oil and natural gas on federal public lands belong to the American people and could help the nation lower energy prices,” Sgamma said. “Instead, the president lobbies Russia and OPEC to boost their production while constraining American producers. As a result, gas prices remain high and the president makes empty promises.”

DOI official Laura Daniel-Davis said that oil and gas leases were ongoing during a Senate hearing on Feb. 8, an assertion Sgamma characterized as “flat out incorrect.” Sgamma noted that there hasn’t been a single onshore lease sale since Biden took office and it remains unclear whether there will be any in the future.

However, the DOI defended its actions, saying that it will continue to comply with court orders.

“We continue to comply with the injunction entered in Louisiana v Biden and are reviewing recent orders from the district courts in Louisiana,” DOI spokesperson Melissa Schwartz told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “We do not have any updates as to timing of the next steps in the process.”

Elections have consequences. Do you remember when gas hit $4 a gallon during the Obama administration and President Obama said he didn’t think the high price was a bad thing–he just felt that the price climbed that high too quickly? We have a similar situation in the Biden administration. Saying you want to bring down gasoline prices and then limiting drilling in America does not make sense.