Moratorium on new federal coal leases could spell trouble for oil, gas

摘要

The Obama administration’s moratorium on new federal coal leases could foreshadow a similar move for oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters, lobbyists and lawmakers said. Under the moratorium, or “pause,” as US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell called it, federal officials plan to spend as much as three years reviewing how the coal-leasing program is managed. With exceptions, no new coal leases on federal lands will be issued while this review takes place. The moratorium follows a pledge in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address to quicken the “transition away from dirty energy,” as his administration focuses on efforts to combat climate change in his last year in office. The mid-January announcement was likely not the last initiative aimed at reducing US fossil fuel production the administration will announce, as it is expected to now turn its aim toward the federal oil and gas leasing program, sources said.