The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and mineral resources, including nuclear development; irrigation and reclamation, territorial possessions of the United States, trust lands appertaining to America's indigenous peoples, and the conservation, use, and disposition of federal lands. Its roots go back to the Committee on Interior and Insulars Affairs. In 1977, it became the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and most matters regarding Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians were removed from its jurisdiction and transferred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

History

The Committee on Public Lands was created in 1816 during the 14th Congress chaired by senator Jeremiah Morrow. In its early years, it managed the settlement of the recently purchased Missouri Territory. Over time, the committee oversaw the western expansion of the United States, including the Texas annexation, the

Oregon Treaty The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to t ...

, the

Mexican Cession The Mexican Cession ( es, Cesión mexicana) is the region in the modern-day southwestern United States that Mexico originally controlled, then ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after the Mexican–American War ...

, and the

Gadsden Purchase The Gadsden Purchase ( es, region=MX, la Venta de La Mesilla "The Sale of La Mesilla") is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico by the Treaty of Mesilla, which took effe ...

. The Homestead Act of 1860, which would have benefited western settlers and migrants, was a result of jurisdiction of the Public Lands Committee. In 1849, the

Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

was established, with the Public Lands Committee serving as legislative oversight. The committee became responsible for enacting legislation to conserve nature and its resources. Due to the actions of the committee, Congress began working towards preservation of forests, wilderness, and historical landmarks with the signing of the Antiquities Act in 1906 and the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916. The committee has gone under a number of name changes, but the functions and policy have remained similar to its creation. In 1921, the committee merged with the Committee on Geological Surveys to become the Committee of Public Lands and Surveys. Following the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, it became the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, absorbing the jurisdiction of the Indian Affairs, Territorial and Insular Affairs, Mines and Mining, and Irrigation and Reclamation committees. Its most recent iteration, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, was established on February 4, 1977, after the Committee System Reorganization Amendments of 1977.

Legislation

Current Year

Notable Past Legislation

Jurisdiction

In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: # Coal production, distribution, and utilization; #

Energy policy Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity (often governmental) has decided to address issues of energy development including energy conversion, distribution and use as well as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to contri ...

; # Energy regulation and conservation; # Energy related aspects of deepwater ports; # Energy research and development; # Extraction of minerals from oceans and Outer Continental Shelf lands; # Hydroelectric power, irrigation, and reclamation; # Mining education and research; # Mining, mineral lands, mining claims, and mineral conservation; # National parks, recreation areas, wilderness areas,

wild and scenic rivers The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free ...

, historical sites, military parks and battlefields, and on the public domain, preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of interest; # Naval petroleum reserves in Alaska; # Nonmilitary development of nuclear energy; # Oil and gas production and distribution; # Public lands and forests, including farming and grazing thereon, and mineral extraction therefrom; #

Solar energy Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...

systems; and, # Territorial possessions of the United States, including trusteeships. The Committee is also charged to "study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to energy and resources development, and report thereon from time to time."

Members, 117th Congress

Subcommittees

The Energy Committee has four subcommittees:

Chairpersons

Committee on Public Lands, 1816–1921

* Jeremiah Morrow (R-OH) 1816–1819 * Thomas Williams (R-MS) 1819–1820 * Jesse Thomas (R-IL) 1820–1823 * David Barton (NR-MO) 1823–1831 *

William R. King William Rufus DeVane King (April 7, 1786 – April 18, 1853) was an American politician and diplomat. He was the 13th vice president of the United States from March 4 until his death in April 1853. Earlier he had served as a U.S. represent ...

(D-AL) 1831–1832 * Elias Kane (D-IL) 1832–1833 * George Poindexter (W-MS) 1833–1835 * Thomas Ewing (W-OH) 1835–1836 * Robert Walker (D-MS) 1836–1841 *

Oliver Hampton Smith Oliver Hampton Smith (October 23, 1794March 19, 1859) was a United States representative and Senator from Indiana. Born on Smith's Island, near Trenton, New Jersey, (is also believed to have been born at the Smith Family Farmstead in Upper Makef ...

(W-IN) 1841–1843 * William Woodbridge (W-MI) 1843–1845 * Sidney Breese (D-IL) 1845–1849 * Alpheus Felch (D-MI) 1849–1853 * Solon Borland (D-AR) 1853 *

Augustus Dodge Augustus Caesar Dodge (January 2, 1812November 20, 1883) was a Democratic delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa Territory, a U.S. minister to Spain, and one of the first set of United States Senators to represent Iowa after it ...

(D-IA) 1853–1855 *

Charles E. Stuart Charles Edward Stuart (November 25, 1810May 19, 1887) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. Biography Stuart was born in New York, either near Waterloo, New York, or in Columbia County. He studied law, was admi ...

(D-MI) 1855–1859 * Robert W. Johnson (D-AR) 1859–1861 * James Harlan (R-IA) 1861–1865 * Samuel Pomeroy (R-KS) 1865–1873 * William Sprague (R-RI) 1873–1875 *

Richard Oglesby Richard James Oglesby (July 25, 1824April 24, 1899) was an American soldier and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from Illinois, The town of Oglesby, Illinois, is named in his honor, as is an elementary school situated ...

(R-IL) 1875–1879 *

Joseph E. McDonald Joseph Ewing McDonald (August 29, 1819 – June 21, 1891) was an United States of America, American politician who served as a United States representative and United States Senate, Senator from Indiana. He also served as Indiana's 2nd India ...

(D-IN) 1879–1881 *

Preston Plumb Preston Bierce Plumb (October 12, 1837December 20, 1891) was a United States senator from Kansas, as well as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Delaware County, Ohio, at 9 his family removed to Marysv ...

(R-KS) 1881–1891 *

Joseph N. Dolph Joseph Norton Dolph (October 19, 1835March 10, 1897) was an American politician and attorney in the state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York (state), New York, he immigrated to Oregon over the Oregon Trail and settled in Portland, Oreg ...

(R-OR) 1891–1893 *

James H. Berry James Henderson Berry (May 15, 1841 – January 30, 1913) was a United States Senator and served as the 14th governor of Arkansas. Early life James Henderson Berry was born in Jackson County, Alabama, to Isabella Jane (née Orr) and James McF ...

(D-AR) 1893–1895 *

Fred T. Dubois Fred Thomas Dubois (May 29, 1851February 14, 1930) was a controversial American politician from Idaho who served two terms in the United States Senate. He was best known for his opposition to the gold standard and his efforts to Disfranchisement ...

(R-ID) 1895–1897 * Henry C. Hansbrough (R-ND) 1897–1908 * Knute Nelson (R-MN) 1908–1912 * Reed Smoot (R-UT) 1912–1913 * George E. Chamberlain (D-OR) 1913–1915 *

Henry L. Myers Henry Lee Myers (October 9, 1862 – November 11, 1943) was a United States senator from Montana. Biography Born near Boonville, Missouri, he attended Cooper Institute and Boonville Academy, both private schools. He studied law and was admitt ...

(D-MT) 1915–1919 * Reed Smoot (R-UT) 1919–1921

Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, 1921–1947

* Reed Smoot (R-UT) 1921–1923 *

Irvine L. Lenroot Irvine Luther Lenroot (January 31, 1869 – January 26, 1949) was a United States representative and United States senator from Wisconsin and an associate judge of the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Education and career Bo ...

(R-WI) 1923–1924 *

Edwin F. Ladd Edwin Fremont Ladd (December 13, 1859June 22, 1925) was an American chemist, academic administrator, and politician. While serving in the United States Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Public Roads and Surveys during the sixty-eighth C ...

(R-ND) 1924 * Robert Nelson Stanfield (R-OR) 1924–1927 *

Gerald P. Nye Gerald Prentice Nye (December 19, 1892 – July 17, 1971) was an American politician who represented North Dakota in the United States Senate from 1925 to 1945. He was a Republican and supporter of World War II-era isolationism, chairing the Nye ...

(R-ND) 1927–1933 * John B. Kendrick (D-WY) 1933 *

Robert F. Wagner Robert Ferdinand Wagner I (June 8, 1877May 4, 1953) was an American politician. He was a Democratic U.S. Senator from New York from 1927 to 1949. Born in Prussia, Wagner migrated with his family to the United States in 1885. After graduating ...

(D-NY) 1933–1937 *

Alva B. Adams Alva Blanchard Adams (October 29, 1875 – December 1, 1941) was a Democratic politician who represented Colorado in the United States Senate from 1923 until 1924 and again from 1933 to 1941. Biography Adams was born in Del Norte, Colorado an ...

(D-CO) 1937–1941 *

Carl A. Hatch Carl Atwood Hatch (November 27, 1889 – September 15, 1963) was a United States senator from New Mexico and later was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Education and career Hatch w ...

(D-NM) 1941–1947

Committee on Public Lands, 1947–1948

* Hugh Butler (R-NE) 1947–1948

Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 1948–1977

* Hugh Butler (R-NE) 1948–1949 * Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D-WY) 1949–1953 * Hugh Butler (R-NE) 1953–1954 * Guy Cordon (R-OR) 1954–1955 * James E. Murray (D-MT) 1955–1961 * Clinton P. Anderson (D-NM) 1961–1963 * Scoop Jackson (D-WA) 1963–1977

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 1977–present

* Scoop Jackson (D-WA) 1977–1981 * James McClure (R-ID) 1981–1987 *

Bennett Johnston John Bennett Johnston Jr. (born June 10, 1932) is a retired American attorney, politician, and later lobbyist. A member of the Democratic Party, Johnston represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate from 1972 to 1997. Beginning his political ca ...

(D-LA) 1987–1995 * Frank Murkowski (R-AK) 1995–2001 *

Jeff Bingaman Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman Jr. (born October 3, 1943) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from New Mexico from 1983 to 2013, for 5 terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Chairman of Committee Outreac ...

(D-NM) 2001 * Frank Murkowski (R-AK) 2001 *

(D-NM) 2001–2003 * Pete Domenici (R-NM) 2003–2007 *

(D-NM) 2007–2013 *

Ron Wyden Ronald Lee Wyden (; born May 3, 1949) is an American politician and retired educator serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Oregon, a seat he has held since 1996 United Stat ...

(D-OR) 2013–2014 * Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 2014–2015 * Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 2015–2021 * Joe Manchin (D-WV) 2021–present

Historical committee rosters

116th Congress

;Subcommittees

115th Congress

;Subcommittees Source

References

External links

Official Committee WebsiteArchive

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
– Legislation activity and reports,

Congress.gov Congress.gov is the online database of United States Congress legislative information. Congress.gov is a joint project of the Library of Congress, the House, the Senate and the Government Publishing Office. Congress.gov was in beta in 2012, and b ...

{{United States congressional committees Energy Energy in the United States Environment of the United States 1816 establishments in Washington, D.C. Organizations established in 1816