The Department of the Interior would be required to report the amounts and sources of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel production on federal lands under a bipartisan bill introduced Thursday in the House of Representatives. The Transparency in Energy Production Act of 2016 specifically requires Interior to publish online how much of each type of fossil fuel is produced under federal leases in each state and the portion and source of greenhouse gases released by venting, flaring, and leaking.
“The first step on the path to reducing emissions is to simply know what we’re dealing with: what are the greenhouse gas emissions and where are they coming from?” Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said in a press release. “This bill will increase the transparency around our energy production programs on federal lands and waters, especially when it comes to methane emissions, often called the ‘blind spot’ of our federal energy program.”
While there is no precise figure, research indicates that close to one-fourth of U.S. energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels extracted from federal lands and waters, the release says.
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.), Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), and Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.).