• December 20, 2017

    ANWR Leasing Highlights Energy Tracker Updates for December 2017

    Dan Byers

It seems like we say this every year, but 2017 has been a whirlwind of a year for major energy news.

From today’s congressional passage of tax reform legislation authorizing leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to the flurry of Trump Administration executive actions upon taking office in January, it has truly been an action-packed year. If you’re having trouble keeping up on the latest, the Global Energy Institute’s Energy Tracker is here to help.    

The Tracker provides a one-stop shop for monitoring and accessing official materials related to key energy policy and litigation activities, and our December updates are now available for you to review.

As we look at the big picture, the Trump Administration’s energy-related regulatory and policy agenda continues to steadily progress. Through December 20, we estimate that:

  • Energy-related actions taken by President Trump thus far include 8 executive orders, 4 presidential memoranda, and provisions in 4 public laws;
  • The Administration currently has 16 energy-related regulatory/policy reforms initiated or under review, 6 reforms formally proposed, and 15 reform actions that have been finalized or completed. (Data drawn from this quick reference sheet; these figures do not include project-specific actions such as leases or permit approvals.)
  • In addition, litigation pertaining to at least 11 actions is underway or ongoing.

Specific notable developments highlighted in this edition of the Tracker include the following:

  • 12/20/17: Congress passes Section 20001 of tax reform legislation authoring oil and gas leasing in section 1002 of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
  • 12/18/17: EPA issues advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on a framework to replace the Clean Power Plan
  • 12/12/17: EPA finalizes renewable fuel standard blending requirements for 2018, and biomass-based diesel volumes for 2019.
  • 12/8/17: President Trump issues proclamation reducing the size of the Bears Ears and Grand Escalante national monuments.
  • 12/8/17: BLM finalizes proposal to delay implementation of venting and flaring rule until January 2019.
  • 12/8/17: Second Circuit schedules oral argument in Valley Lateral pipeline litigation (NY DEC v. FERC) for 1/24/18.

Happy holidays, and please stay tuned for additional updates as we continue to track energy related activities in 2018.