此举可能会有所帮助降低高昂的汽油价格美国总统乔·拜登恢复了在联邦土地上进行石油和天然气钻探的租约2020竞选承诺中期选举将决定拜登在国会通过其议程的能力。
政府将开始出售公共土地上的钻井租约，最早于周一在九个州出租144，000英亩土地拜登面临巨大压力为了在价格飙升的情况下提高美国的石油产量，部分原因是乌克兰战争，拜登称之为“普京的价格上涨”内政部在周五下午宣布了这一举措，临近假期周末。
“长期以来，联邦石油和天然气租赁计划优先考虑采掘业的需求，而不是当地社区、自然环境、对我们的空气和水的影响、部落民族的需求，此外，我们共有的公共土地的其他用途，”内政部长德布·哈兰在一份声明中说释放;排放;发布。“今天，我们开始重新设定我们认为最大限度和最好地利用美国资源的方式和内容，以造福于当代和后代。"
内政部表示，出售过程的新变化反映了“能源开发和管理我国公共土地的平衡方法”，并指出拍卖的土地比提名的733，000英亩少80%。它还说，租赁销售将受到部落协商和社区投入。
但这一行动违背了总统在竞选中做出的一项关键承诺，即不在联邦土地上钻探，这是一项更大的竞选承诺的一部分，旨在努力减少对化石燃料的依赖，激怒气候活动家在地球周和国家公园周的开始。
为了帮助转移批评，拜登政府将公司必须为这种钻探支付的特许权使用费从12.5%提高到18.75%，这是一个多世纪以来的首次上调。
虽然一些环保组织承认政府的改变——增加特许权使用费和限制现有基础设施区域的租赁——是积极的步骤，但其他更关键的气候组织认为，任何继续美国的决定对化石燃料的依赖是朝着错误的方向迈出的一步。
“拜登政府声称必须保留这些租赁销售，这纯粹是虚构的，是气候领导力的鲁莽失败，”亚利桑那州生物多样性中心公共土地主任兰迪·斯皮瓦克在一份声明中说。“就好像他们忽视了火灾、洪水和特大干旱的恐怖，像往常一样接受气候灾难...这些租赁销售应该被搁置，破坏气候的联邦化石燃料项目应该结束。”
另一位活动家凯尔·蒂斯德尔是西部环境法中心的气候和能源项目主任，该中心通过诉讼来保护公共土地期中考试的严重警告将近200天以后。
他在一份声明中说:“我们已经从拜登总统和他的政府那里听到了很多关于需要在气候问题上采取行动的言论。”。“但是政府不仅没有竭尽全力，也没有真正做任何事情。气候行动是拜登总统竞选的一个支柱，他在这个生死攸关的问题上的承诺是公众选择他的一个主要原因。
在路易斯安那州的一名联邦法官做出判决后，白宫声称除了继续在公共土地上钻井外别无选择推翻了拜登的行政命令2021年6月，暂停此类钻探。一名高级政府官员周五告诉美国广播公司新闻，此举是“由于正在进行的诉讼而采取的必要行动。”
“我们仍然认为，作为一个国家和一个政府，我们必须加快——而不是放缓——我们向清洁能源的过渡，”这位高级政府官员说，并详细介绍了政府为开发清洁能源替代品采取的行动。
美国广播公司新闻资深白宫记者玛丽·布鲁斯(Mary Bruce)向白宫新闻秘书珍·普萨基(Jen Psaki)提问，拜登到2030年将温室气体排放量减半的雄心勃勃的目标现在是否有被削弱的风险，因为政府辩称，它被迫扩大化石燃料生产。
普萨基说:“显然，我们将继续为这场法律诉讼而斗争，但我要说，你知道，总统仍然致力于解决气候危机，这是他上任以来的四大支柱之一，他竞选总统，并将继续为之奋斗。”。“对他来说，这是如此令人不安的原因之一，因为他非常致力于这个目标，作为总统，我们继续提议在应对气候危机方面进行历史性的投资，我们将继续与国会讨论这一点。”
当被直截了当地问及白宫是否仍然有信心实现这一目标时，普萨基说:“我们将继续追求这一目标，并将继续尽一切努力实现这一目标。”
众议院自然资源委员会(House Committee on Natural Resources)主席、亚利桑那州民主党众议员劳尔·m·格里哈尔瓦(Raúl M. Grijalva)对政府提高钻探特许权使用费表示赞赏，他在一份声明中说，“如果我们要让化石燃料行业占用我们更多的公共土地进行钻探，我们至少应该确保他们为此支付合理的价格。”
在共和党人抨击拜登与普京关系密切的天然气价格之际，参议院环境和公共工程委员会(Senate Environment and Public Works Committee)资深成员、经常批评政府能源政策的参议员约翰·巴拉索(John Barrasso，R-Wyo)缓和了周一的举措可能会压低油价的预期，指出它仍将通过增加企业成本来限制国内生产。
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images，文件
参议员约翰·巴拉索离开与参议院共和党人在美国国会大厦的午餐会..
Abigail Dillen，地球正义的主席，一个非盈利性的环境问题诉讼，称这种行为“不符合我们的气候义务。”
她在一份声明中说:“我们对租赁销售面积的大幅减少、基于科学的温室气体排放分析的实施以及新的竞争性租赁的特许权使用费增加到18.75%感到鼓舞，但继续进行拟议的租赁销售使任何到2030年将污染水平比2005年降低50-52%的希望更加遥不可及。”
“如果拜登政府对解决气候变化问题是认真的，它的行动需要开始与它的言论相匹配，”迪伦补充说。
这是总统解决油价飙升的最新举措被迫走钢丝承诺应对气候变化，但也要在40年来的高通胀中降低美国人的天然气价格，这些问题在中期选举前困扰着他。
回到2020年的竞选活动，拜登在新罕布什尔州的一个市政厅表示，他反对在北极国家野生动物保护区钻井，然后补充说，“顺便说一句，不再在联邦土地上钻井，句号。句号，句号，句号。”
一些进步团体肯定会提醒选民政府自11月份以来在化石燃料上的行动。
“候选人拜登承诺停止在公共土地上租赁新的石油和天然气，但拜登总统将石油高管的利润置于子孙后代之上，”地球之友的高级化石燃料项目经理妮可·基奥在一份声明中说。
人们普遍认为，拜登司法部或白宫本可以采取更多措施来推迟拍卖继续进行，以兑现他的竞选承诺，甚至可能通过打击腐败来无限期推迟拍卖法官在法庭上的命令。相反，政府找到了一种方法来释放更少的英亩数，并增加特许权使用费。
“这是拜登白宫在巨大的压力下采取措施应对不断上涨的汽油价格，”说美国广播公司新闻政治主任里克·克莱因周日在“早安美国”节目中说。“这可能意味着更多的勘探，甚至可能意味着更多的生产，但这需要一段时间——这也是当政治危机涉及天然气价格时，处理政治危机如此困难的另一个原因。”
上周，拜登提升要求允许夏季销售“E-15”——一种掺有15%乙醇的汽油，而不是通常的10%——白宫表示，这将使每加仑汽油价格下降10美分。上个月末，他宣布了他的空前的计划在未来六个月内，每天从国家战略石油储备中拿出大约100万桶石油，以降低能源和天然气价格。
根据GasBuddy石油分析主管帕特里克·德哈恩(Patrick Schmidt)的说法，美国天然气价格已连续第四周下降，全国平均价格每加仑下降3.8美分，至4.06美元/加仑。他周一在推特上说，价格比一个月前下降了21.1美分。
最近的一次ABC新闻/益普索民意调查发现美国人更有可能将价格上涨归咎于民主党政策(52%)和拜登(51%)，而不是共和党政策(33%)和前总统唐纳德·特朗普(24%)。绝大多数美国人(68%)也不赞成拜登处理天然气价格的方式。
最早将于周一出让联邦土地用于石油和天然气租赁的州包括阿拉巴马州、科罗拉多州、蒙大拿州、内华达州、新墨西哥州、北达科他州、俄克拉荷马州、犹他州和怀俄明州。
Infuriating climate activists, Biden expands oil drilling on public land
In a move that could helptemper high gasoline prices, President Joe Biden is bringing back leases for oil and gas drilling on federal land -- but the reversal of a2020 campaign promisehas angered climate activists ahead of midterms that will determine Biden's ability to get his agenda through Congress.
The administration was set to start selling leases for drilling on public lands -- putting 144,000 acres of lands up for lease in nine states as soon as Monday -- asBiden faces massive pressureto boost oil production in the U.S. amid soaring prices partly from the war in Ukraine, what Biden calls "Putin's price hike." The Interior Department announced the move on Friday afternoon heading into the holiday weekend.
"For too long, the federal oil and gas leasing programs have prioritized the wants of extractive industries above local communities, the natural environment, the impact on our air and water, the needs of Tribal Nations, and, moreover, other uses of our shared public lands," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in arelease. "Today, we begin to reset how and what we consider to be the highest and best use of Americans' resources for the benefit of all current and future generations."
The Interior Department said new changes to the sale process reflect "the balanced approach to energy development and management of our nation's public lands" and noted the land offered for auction is 80% less than the 733,000 acres nominated. It also said that lease sales will be subject to Tribal consultation and community input.
But the action goes against a key promise the president made on the campaign trail not to drill on federal lands, part of a larger campaign pledge to try and reduce reliance on fossil fuels,infuriating climate activistsat the start of Earth Week and National Park Week.
To help deflect criticism, the Biden administration is increasing the royalties that companies must pay for this drilling from 12.5% to 18.75% -- in a first of its kind increase in more than a century.
While some environmental groups have acknowledged that the administration changes -- increasing royalties and limiting leases to areas with existing infrastructure -- are positive steps, other more critical climate groups argue that any decision that continues U.S.reliance on fossil fuelsis a step in the wrong direction.
"The Biden administration's claim that it must hold these lease sales is pure fiction and a reckless failure of climate leadership," said Randi Spivak, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity in Arizona, in a statement. "It's as if they're ignoring the horror of firestorms, floods and megadroughts, and accepting climate catastrophes as business as usual...These lease sales should be shelved and the climate-destroying federal fossil fuel programs brought to an end."
Another activist, Kyle Tisdel, a climate and energy program director with the Western Environmental Law Center, which litigates to safeguard public lands, sent the administration astark warning with the midtermsnearly 200 days away.
"We have heard a lot of rhetoric from President Biden and his administration about the need to take action on climate," he said in a statement. "But not only is the administration not doing everything it could -- it is not really doing anything. Climate action was a pillar of President Biden's campaign, and his promises on this existential issue were a major reason the public elected him."
The White House has argued it had no choice but to continue drilling on public lands after a federal judge in Louisianastruck down Biden's executive orderin June 2021 temporarily suspending such drilling. A senior administration official told ABC News on Friday the move was "a necessary action as a result of ongoing litigation."
"We continue to believe that as a country and as an administration we must speed up -- not slow down -- our transition to clean energy," the senior administration official said, ticking through actions the administration has taken to develop clean-energy alternatives.
ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce pressed White House press secretary Jen Psaki on whether Biden's ambitious goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 now risks being undercut as the administration argues it's being forced to expand fossil fuel production.
"Obviously we're going to continue to fight this legal action, but I would say that you know the president remains committed to addressing the climate crisis is one of the four pillars that he came in, he ran on as president, and he will continue to fight for," Psaki said. "One of the reasons that this was so troubling to him is because he is so committed to that -- that objective as president and we have continued to propose historic investment in addressing the climate crisis, something that we will continue to discuss with Congress."
Asked point-blank if the White House is still confident that goal is achievable, Psaki said, "We are continuing to pursue it, and we're going to continue to do everything we can to reach it."
The chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., applauded the administration for raising royalties on the drilling, saying in a statement, "If we're going to let the fossil fuel industry pocket more of our public lands for drilling, we should at least make sure they're paying a decent price to do it."
As Republicans have blasted Biden over gas prices he's tied to Putin, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and frequent critic of the administration's energy policies, tempered expectations that Monday's move may bring down oil prices, noting it will still limit domestic production by increasing costs on companies.
Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice, a nonprofit which to litigates environmental issues, called the action "incompatible with meeting our climate obligations."
"We are encouraged by a significant reduction in lease sale acreage, implementation of science-based analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, and an increase in the royalty rate for new competitive leases to 18.75%, but proceeding with proposed lease sales puts any hope of slashing pollution by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030 further out of reach," she said in a statement.
"If the Biden administration is serious about addressing climate change, its actions need to start matching its words," Dillen added.
The action is the latest in a wave to address soaring oil prices as the president isforced to walk a fine linebetween committing to fighting climate change but, also, to bringing down gas prices for Americans amid 40-year-high inflation -- issues plaguing him ahead of the midterm elections.
Back on the campaign trail in 2020, Biden said at a town hall in New Hampshire that he opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, before adding, "And by the way, no more drilling on federal lands, period. Period, period, period."
Some progressive groups are sure to remind voters of the administration's actions on fossil fuels since and heading into November.
"Candidate Biden promised to end new oil and gas leasing on public lands, but President Biden is prioritizing oil executive profits over future generations," said Nicole Ghio, senior fossil fuels program manager at Friends of the Earth, in a statement.
It's widely believed the Biden Justice Department or White House could have done more to delay the auctions continuing in order to keep his campaign promise, even potentially delaying the sales indefinitely by fighting thejudge's order in court. Instead, the administration found a way to release a smaller number of acres and increase royalties.
"This is the Biden White House under enormous pressure to do something about the spiraling cost of gasoline,"saidABC News Political Director Rick Klein on "Good Morning America" Sunday. "It might mean more exploration and might even mean more production, but it's going to take a while -- and it's another reason that it's so hard to deal with a political crisis when that crisis involves gas prices."
Last week, Bidenlifted requirementsto allow the summer sale of "E-15" -- a blend of gas with 15% ethanol, rather than the usual 10% -- which the White House said will bring down gas prices by 10 cents a gallon. And late last month, he announced hisunprecedented plansto release roughly 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve over the next six months to reduce energy and gas prices.
According to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, U.S. gas prices have declined for the fourth straight week, with the national average falling 3.8 cents per gallon to $4.06/gal. Prices are down 21.1 cents from a month ago, he said in a tweet Monday.
A recentABC News/Ipsos pollfound Americans are more likely to place a "great deal" or a "good amount" of the blame for the price increases on Democratic Party policies (52%) and Biden (51%) than on Republican Party policies (33%) and former President Donald Trump (24%). A strong majority of Americans (68%) also disapproves of the way Biden is handling gas prices.
The states with federal land up for oil and gas leases as soon as Monday include Alabama, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.
