TCS sent a joint letter with Project on Government Oversight and Public Citizen to the Department of the Interior (DOI) calling for a rulemaking on the federal oil and gas leasing system.

The federal oil and gas leasing program is in need of reform. For decades, taxpayers have been shortchanged through low royalty and rental rates, low minimum bonus bids, and the noncompetitive leasing process. The fiscal year 2022 budget reconciliation bill (P.L. 117-169, or the Inflation Reduction Act) contains several important oil and gas reforms, but DOI must take further steps to solidify and build upon these initial reforms. DOI must take prompt actions to modernize oil and gas leasing to give taxpayers a fair return on the resources we all own.