Energy and Mineral Resources

The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is a specialized panel within the House Committee on Natural Resources that focuses on a narrow but consequential slice of the parent committee's broader jurisdiction over public lands and natural resources. The subcommittee oversees American energy production and mining activities on federal lands and waters, both onshore and offshore. This includes oil and gas development, mineral extraction, renewable energy projects like solar and wind, geothermal resources, and related infrastructure such as pipelines and transmission systems.

The subcommittee's jurisdiction encompasses planning and development of energy resources on federal property, conservation of oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf, mining regulation and enforcement, reclamation of mined lands, and oversight of the U.S. Geological Survey's work in these areas. Because nearly a quarter of the country's carbon pollution comes from fossil fuel development on public lands and waters, the subcommittee's decisions significantly affect both energy policy and climate considerations.

Chair Pete Stauber (R-MN) and Ranking Member Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) lead the 24-member subcommittee. Recent hearings reflect the panel's active agenda, including oversight hearings on offshore energy development, domestic mining for national security, and geothermal energy expansion. The subcommittee also held legislative hearings on multiple bills addressing geothermal development, critical minerals, and energy production on federal lands. As a subcommittee, it prepares legislation and holds initial hearings, but only the full Natural Resources Committee can report bills to the House floor for consideration.