United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Senate Energy Committee

Standing committee
Active United States Senate 118th Congress
History
Formed	February 4, 1977
Succeeded	Committee on Public Lands Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
Leadership
Chair	Joe Manchin (D) Since February 3, 2021
Ranking member	John Barrasso (R) Since February 3, 2021
Structure
Seats	19 members
Political parties	Majority (10)      Democratic (8)      Independent (2) Minority (9)      Republican (9)
Jurisdiction
Policy areas	Alaska Natives, Coal mining, Energy industry, Federal lands, Hydrocarbon exploration, Hydroelectricity, Irrigation, Insular areas, Mining, Natural resource management, Nuclear power, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Reclamation, Renewable energy, Territorial possessions, Water resources
Oversight authority	Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Energy Information Administration, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Insular Affairs, National Nuclear Security Administration, National Park Service, Southeastern Power Administration, Southwestern Power Administration, Western Area Power Administration, United States Forest Service, United States Geological Survey
House counterpart	House Committee on Energy and Commerce, House Committee on Natural Resources, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Subcommittees
Energy National Parks Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Water and Power
Meeting place
304 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C.
Rules
Rule XXV.1.(g), Standing Rules of the Senate Rules of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is a special group of lawmakers in the United States Senate. Think of it like a team that focuses on big topics related to energy and natural resources. This includes things like how we get and use energy, how we manage our country's land, and how we protect important natural areas.

This committee works on laws about energy sources like nuclear power, oil, and gas. It also deals with water projects, like irrigation for farms. Plus, it helps manage federal lands, which are lands owned by the U.S. government, and looks after the rights of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians regarding their lands.

What Does the Committee Do?

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has a very important job. It makes sure that laws are created and followed for many key areas.

Energy and Resources

This committee handles all sorts of energy topics. They look at how we produce, share, and use energy from different sources. This includes:

• Coal
• Energy policy (the rules for how we use energy)
• Energy rules and saving energy
• Researching new ways to create energy
• Getting minerals from the ocean and special offshore lands
• Hydroelectric power (energy from water)
• Mining education and research
• Finding and using oil and gas
• Solar energy systems

Land and Water

The committee also plays a big role in managing our country's lands and water. They work on:

• Irrigation (bringing water to farms) and reclaiming dry land
• Rules for mining, mineral lands, and protecting minerals
• Protecting National parks, recreation areas, and wilderness areas
• Looking after wild and scenic rivers and historical sites
• Protecting ancient ruins and other important historical objects
• Managing Public lands and forests, including rules for farming, grazing animals, and mining on these lands
• Dealing with the territories that belong to the U.S.

How the Committee Started

The roots of this committee go way back to 1816. It started as the Committee on Public Lands.

Early Days: Public Lands

When it first began, the Committee on Public Lands helped manage new lands the U.S. bought, like the Louisiana Purchase. As the country grew westward, this committee was in charge of laws for new areas like Texas, Oregon, and lands gained from Mexico. They even worked on the Homestead Act of 1860, which helped people settle in the West.

In 1849, the Department of the Interior was created. This department helps manage public lands and natural resources. The Public Lands Committee worked closely with it to make laws for protecting nature. Thanks to their efforts, Congress started protecting forests, wilderness, and historical places. This led to the Antiquities Act in 1906 and the creation of the National Park Service in 1916.

Changes Over Time

The committee's name has changed a few times, but its main goals have stayed similar.

• In 1921, it became the Committee of Public Lands and Surveys.
• After a big law change in 1946, it became the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. This new committee took over responsibilities from other groups, including those dealing with Native Americans, territories, mines, and irrigation.
• Its current name, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, was set on February 4, 1977. At this time, many matters about Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians were moved to a different committee, the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Who Are the Members?

The committee has members from both major political parties. They work together to discuss and create laws.

Members of the 118th Congress

Here are the current members of the committee:

Subcommittees: Smaller Teams

To handle all its important work, the main committee divides into smaller groups called subcommittees. Each subcommittee focuses on a specific area.

Leaders of the Committee

Many different senators have led this important committee throughout its history. Here are some of the past chairpersons:

Chairpersons of the 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 (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 (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 (D-IA) 1853–1855
• Charles E. Stuart (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 (R-IL) 1875–1879
• Joseph E. McDonald (D-IN) 1879–1881
• Preston Plumb (R-KS) 1881–1891
• Joseph N. Dolph (R-OR) 1891–1893
• James H. Berry (D-AR) 1893–1895
• Fred T. Dubois (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 (D-MT) 1915–1919
• Reed Smoot (R-UT) 1919–1921

Chairpersons of the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys (1921–1947)

• Reed Smoot (R-UT) 1921–1923
• Irvine L. Lenroot (R-WI) 1923–1924
• Edwin F. Ladd (R-ND) 1924
• Robert Nelson Stanfield (R-OR) 1924–1927
• Gerald P. Nye (R-ND) 1927–1933
• John B. Kendrick (D-WY) 1933
• Robert F. Wagner (D-NY) 1933–1937
• Alva B. Adams (D-CO) 1937–1941
• Carl A. Hatch (D-NM) 1941–1947

Chairpersons of the Committee on Public Lands (1947–1948)

• Hugh Butler (R-NE) 1947–1948

Chairpersons of the 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

Chairpersons of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (1977–present)

• Scoop Jackson (D-WA) 1977–1981
• James McClure (R-ID) 1981–1987
• Bennett Johnston (D-LA) 1987–1995
• Frank Murkowski (R-AK) 1995–2001
• Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 2001
• Frank Murkowski (R-AK) 2001
• Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 2001–2003
• Pete Domenici (R-NM) 2003–2007
• Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 2007–2013
• Ron Wyden (D-OR) 2013–2014
• Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 2014–2015
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 2015–2021
• Joe Manchin (D-WV) 2021–present

See also

• List of current United States Senate committees
• The United States House Committee on Public Lands, which was a committee similar to this one in the House of Representatives.