United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Senate Energy Committee

Standing committee
Active United States Senate 119th Congress
History
Formed	February 4, 1977
Succeeded	Committee on Public Lands Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
Leadership
Chair	Mike Lee (R) Since January 3, 2025
Ranking member	Martin Heinrich (D) Since January 3, 2025
Structure
Seats	20 members
Political parties	Majority (11)   Republican (11) Minority (9)   Democratic (8)   Independent (1)
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	Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee Committee on Natural Resources 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.
Website
www.energy.senate.gov
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 standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and mineral resources, including nuclear development; irrigation and reclamation, territorial possessions of the United States, trust lands appertaining to America's indigenous peoples, and the conservation, use, and disposition of federal lands. Its roots go back to the Committee on Interior and Insulars Affairs. In 1977, it became the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and most matters regarding Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians were removed from its jurisdiction and transferred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

History

The Committee on Public Lands was created in 1816 during the 14th Congress chaired by senator Jeremiah Morrow. In its early years, it managed the settlement of the recently purchased Missouri Territory. Over time, the committee oversaw the western expansion of the United States, including the Texas annexation, the Oregon Treaty, the Mexican Cession, and the Gadsden Purchase. The Homestead Act of 1860, which would have benefited western settlers and migrants, was a result of jurisdiction of the Public Lands Committee.

In 1849, the Department of the Interior was established, with the Public Lands Committee serving as legislative oversight. The committee became responsible for enacting legislation to conserve nature and its resources. Due to the actions of the committee, Congress began working towards preservation of forests, wilderness, and historical landmarks with the signing of the Antiquities Act in 1906 and the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916.

The committee has gone under a number of name changes, but the functions and policy have remained similar to its creation. In 1921, the committee merged with the Committee on Geological Surveys to become the Committee of Public Lands and Surveys. Following the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, it became the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, absorbing the jurisdiction of the Indian Affairs, Territorial and Insular Affairs, Mines and Mining, and Irrigation and Reclamation committees. Its most recent iteration, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, was established on February 4, 1977, after the Committee System Reorganization Amendments of 1977. ^[1]

Jurisdiction

In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:

1. Coal production, distribution, and utilization;
2. Energy policy;
3. Energy regulation and conservation;
4. Energy related aspects of deepwater ports;
5. Energy research and development;
6. Extraction of minerals from oceans and Outer Continental Shelf lands;
7. Hydroelectric power, irrigation, and reclamation;
8. Mining education and research;
9. Mining, mineral lands, mining claims, and mineral conservation;
10. National parks, recreation areas, wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, historical sites, military parks and battlefields, and on the public domain, preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of interest;
11. National Petroleum Reserve;
12. Nonmilitary development of nuclear energy;
13. Oil and gas production and distribution;
14. Public lands and forests, including farming and grazing thereon, and mineral extraction therefrom;
15. Solar energy systems; and,
16. Territorial possessions of the United States, including trusteeships. ^[2]

The Committee is also charged to "study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to energy and resources development, and report thereon from time to time." ^[2]

Members, 119th Congress

Main article: 119th United States Congress

Majority [3]	Minority [4]
Mike Lee, Utah, Chair John Barrasso, Wyoming Jim Risch, Idaho Steve Daines, Montana Tom Cotton, Arkansas Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania Jim Justice, West Virginia (from January 14, 2025) Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Hoeven, North Dakota	Martin Heinrich, New Mexico, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Oregon Maria Cantwell, Washington Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Angus King, Maine [5] Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada John Hickenlooper, Colorado Alex Padilla, California Ruben Gallego, Arizona

Subcommittees

Subcommittee [6]	Chair	Ranking Member
Energy	Dave McCormick (R-PA)	Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
National Parks	Steve Daines (R-MT)	Angus King (I-ME)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining	John Barrasso (R-WY)	Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Water and Power	John Hoeven (R-ND)	Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Chairs

Committee on Public Lands, 1816–1921

Name	Party	State	Start	End
Jeremiah Morrow	Democratic-Republican	OH	1816	1819
Thomas Williams	Democratic-Republican	MS	1819	1820
Jesse Thomas	Democratic-Republican	IL	1819	1823
David Barton	Democratic-Republican (1823–1825)	MO	1823	1831
	National Republican (1825–1831)
William King	Jacksonian	AL	1831	1832
Elias Kane	Jacksonian	IL	1832	1833
George Poindexter	Whig	MS	1833	1835
Thomas Ewing	Whig	OH	1835	1836
Robert Walker	Jacksonian (1836–1837)	MS	1836	1841
	Democratic (1837–1841)
Oliver Smith	Whig	IN	1841	1843
William Woodbridge	Whig	MI	1843	1845
Sidney Breese	Democratic	IL	1845	1849
Alpheus Felch	Democratic	MI	1849	1853
Solon Borland	Democratic	AR	1853
Augustus Dodge	Democratic	IA	1853	1855
Charles Stuart	Democratic	MI	1855	1859
Robert Johnson	Democratic	AR	1859	1861
James Harlan	Republican	IA	1861	1865
Samuel Pomeroy	Republican	KS	1865	1873
William Sprague	Republican	RI	1873	1875
Richard Oglesby	Republican	IL	1875	1879
Joseph McDonald	Republican	IN	1879	1881
Preston Plumb	Republican	KS	1881	1891
Joseph Dolph	Republican	OR	1891	1893
James Berry	Democratic	AR	1893	1895
Fred Dubois	Republican	ID	1895	1897
Henry Hansbrough	Republican	ND	1897	1908
Knute Nelson	Republican	MN	1908	1912
Reed Smoot	Republican	UT	1912	1913
George Chamberlain	Democratic	OR	1913	1915
Henry Myers	Democratic	MT	1915	1919
Reed Smoot	Republican	UT	1919	1921

Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, 1921–1947

Name	Party	State	Start	End
Reed Smoot	Republican	UT	1921	1923
Irvine Lenroot	Republican	WI	1923	1924
Edwin Ladd	Republican	ND	1924
Robert Stanfield	Republican	OR	1924	1927
Gerald Nye	Republican	ND	1927	1933
John Kendrick	Democratic	WY	1933
Robert Wagner	Democratic	NY	1933	1937
Alva Adams	Democratic	CO	1937	1941
Carl Hatch	Democratic	NM	1941	1947

Committee on Public Lands, 1947–1948

Name	Party	State	Start	End
Hugh Butler	Republican	NE	1947	1948

Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 1948–1977

Name	Party	State	Start	End
Hugh Butler	Republican	NE	1948	1949
Joseph O'Mahoney	Democratic	WY	1949	1953
Hugh Butler	Republican	NE	1953	1954
Guy Cordon	Republican	OR	1954	1955
James Murray	Democratic	MT	1955	1961
Clinton Anderson	Democratic	NM	1961	1963
Scoop Jackson	Democratic	WA	1963	1977

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 1977–present

Name	Party	State	Start	End
Scoop Jackson	Democratic	WA	1977	1981
Jim McClure	Republican	ID	1981	1987
Bennett Johnston	Democratic	LA	1987	1995
Frank Murkowski	Republican	AK	1995	2001
Jeff Bingaman	Democratic	NM	2001
Frank Murkowski	Republican	AK	2001
Jeff Bingaman	Democratic	NM	2001	2003
Pete Domenici	Republican	NM	2003	2007
Jeff Bingaman	Democratic	NM	2007	2013
Ron Wyden	Democratic	OR	2013	2014
Mary Landrieu	Democratic	LA	2014	2015
Lisa Murkowski	Republican	AK	2015	2021
Joe Manchin	Democratic (2021–2024)	WV	2021	2025
	Independent Democrat (2024–2025)
Mike Lee	Republican	UT	2025	present

Ranking members

Name	Party	State	Start	End
Carl Hatch	Democratic	NM	1947	1949
Hugh Butler	Republican	NE	1949	1953
James Murray	Democratic	MT	1953	1955
Eugene Millikin	Republican	CO	1955	1957
George Malone	Republican	NV	1957	1959
Henry Dworshak	Republican	IN	1959	1963
Thomas Kuchel	Republican	CA	1963	1969
Gordon Allott	Republican	CO	1969	1973
Paul Fannin	Republican	AZ	1973	1977
Clifford Hansen	Republican	WY	1977	1979
Mark Hatfield	Republican	OR	1979	1981
Scoop Jackson	Democratic	WA	1981	1983
Bennett Johnston	Democratic	LA	1983	1987
Jim McClure	Republican	ID	1987	1991
Malcolm Wallop	Republican	WY	1991	1995
Bennett Johnston	Democratic	LA	1995	1997
Dale Bumpers	Democratic	AR	1997	1999
Jeff Bingaman	Democratic	NM	1999	2001
Frank Murkowski	Republican	AK	2001	2003
Jeff Bingaman	Democratic	NM	2003	2007
Pete Domenici	Republican	NM	2007	2009
Lisa Murkowski	Republican	AK	2009	2015
Maria Cantwell	Democratic	WA	2015	2019
Joe Manchin	Democratic	WA	2019	2021
Lisa Murkowski	Republican	AK	2021	2025
Martin Heinrich	Democratic	NM	2025	present

Historical committee rosters

118th Congress

Main article: 118th United States Congress

Majority [7]	Minority [8]
Joe Manchin, West Virginia, [5] Chair Ron Wyden, Oregon Maria Cantwell, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont [5] Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Angus King, Maine [5] Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada Mark Kelly, Arizona (until October 17, 2023) John Hickenlooper, Colorado Alex Padilla, California (from October 17, 2023) [9]	John Barrasso, Wyoming, Ranking Member Jim Risch, Idaho Mike Lee, Utah Steve Daines, Montana Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Hoeven, North Dakota Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Josh Hawley, Missouri

Subcommittees

Subcommittee [10]	Chair	Ranking Member
Energy	Bernie Sanders (I-VT)	Josh Hawley (R-MO)
National Parks	Angus King (I-ME)	Steve Daines (R-MT)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining	Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)	Mike Lee (R-UT)
Water and Power	Ron Wyden (D-OR)	Jim Risch (R-ID)

117th Congress

Main article: 117th United States Congress

Majority	Minority
Joe Manchin, West Virginia, Chair Maria Cantwell, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Bernie Sanders, Vermont [11] Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Angus King, Maine [11] Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada Mark Kelly, Arizona John Hickenlooper, Colorado	John Barrasso, Wyoming, Ranking Member Jim Risch, Idaho Mike Lee, Utah Steve Daines, Montana Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Hoeven, North Dakota James Lankford, Oklahoma Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Roger Marshall, Kansas

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Energy	Mazie Hirono (D-HI)	John Hoeven (R-ND)
National Parks	Angus King (I-ME)	Steve Daines (R-MT)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining	Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)	Mike Lee (R-UT)
Water and Power	Ron Wyden (D-OR)	Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)

116th Congress

Main article: 116th United States Congress

Majority	Minority
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, Chair John Barrasso, Wyoming Jim Risch, Idaho Mike Lee, Utah Steve Daines, Montana Cory Gardner, Colorado Lamar Alexander, Tennessee John Hoeven, North Dakota Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Martha McSally, Arizona (until December 2, 2020)	Joe Manchin, West Virginia, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Bernie Sanders, Vermont [11] Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Angus King, Maine [11] Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Energy	Bill Cassidy (R-LA)	Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
National Parks	Steve Daines (R-MT)	Angus King (I-ME)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining	Mike Lee (R-UT)	Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Water and Power	Martha McSally (R-AZ) (until December 2, 2020)	Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

115th Congress

Majority	Minority
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, Chair John Barrasso, Wyoming Jim Risch, Idaho Mike Lee, Utah Steve Daines, Montana Cory Gardner, Colorado Lamar Alexander, Tennessee John Hoeven, North Dakota Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Rob Portman, Ohio Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia	Maria Cantwell, Washington, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Oregon Bernie Sanders, Vermont [11] Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Al Franken, Minnesota (until January 2, 2018) Joe Manchin, West Virginia Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Angus King, Maine [11] Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada Tina Smith, Minnesota (from January 9, 2018)

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Energy	Cory Gardner (R-CO)	Joe Manchin (D-WV)
National Parks	Steve Daines (R-MT)	Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Public Lands, Forests and Mining	Mike Lee (R-UT)	Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Water and Power	Jeff Flake (R-AZ)	Angus King (I-ME)

Source ^[12]

See also

• List of United States Senate committees
• United States House Committee on Public Lands, predecessor of the United States House Committee on Resources

References

1. "History". U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 1986. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
2. "Rule XXV(g) of the United States Senate | U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration". United States Senate. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
3. S.Res. 16, S.Res. 26 (119th Congress)
4. S.Res. 17 (119th Congress)
5. Sens. Manchin, Sanders and King are independent, but caucus(ed) with Democrats.
6. "Energy and Natural Resources Committee Assigns Members to Subcommittees for 119th Congress". United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. February 11, 2025.
7. S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
8. S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
9. "Majority Leader Schumer Announces New Senate Democratic Committee Assignments". Senate Democrats. October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
10. "Energy and Natural Resources Committee Assigns Members to Subcommittees for 118th Congress". United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
11. Sens. Sanders and King are independent, but caucus with Democrats.
12. "U.S. Senate: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources". www.senate.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2017.

External links

• Official Committee Website (Archive)
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov