The Federal Government: Obstacle to Domestic Energy

Paul Chesser writes about several energy issues at American Spectator. He notes that “based on government data…Ninety four percent of federal onshore lands are off-limits to oil and gas exploration, while 97 percent of offshore federal lands are off-limits.”

Also noteworthy is the fact, not mentioned by many, that North Dakota is booming. One reason for this is that their resources are not owned by the federal government. See this useful map of where federally-owned lands are located.

Last, but not least, while New Mexico unfortunately suffers from lots of federal land ownership, the folks at the State Land Office have seen an uptick in leases in recent months. This is some good news for the state economy.