Congressional Research Service Reports - 131 Matching Results

Search Results

Results: 1 - 24 next
open access

Outer Continental Shelf: Debate Over Oil and Gas Leasing and Revenue Sharing

Description: Oil and gas leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has been an important issue in the debate over energy security and domestic energy resources. The Department of the Interior (DOI) released a comprehensive inventory of OCS resources in February 2006 that estimated reserves of 8.5 billion barrels of oil and 29.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Congress has imposed moratoria of the OCS since 1982 through the annual Interior appropriation bills. Proponents of the moratoria contend that … more
Date: January 22, 2008
Creator: Humphries, Marc
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Outer Continental Shelf: Debate Over Oil and Gas Leasing and Revenue Sharing

Description: Oil and gas leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has been an important issue in the debate over energy security and domestic energy resources. The Department of the Interior (DOI) released a comprehensive inventory of OCS resources in February 2006 that estimated reserves of 8.5 billion barrels of oil and 29.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Congress has imposed moratoria of the OCS since 1982 through the annual Interior appropriation bills. Proponents of the moratoria contend that … more
Date: July 15, 2008
Creator: Humphries, Marc
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Regulation of Energy Derivatives

Description: After the collapse of Enron Corp. in late 2001, that company's activities came under intense scrutiny. Much of its business consisted of trading financial contracts whose value was derived from changes in energy prices. Enron's derivatives trading was largely "over-the-counter" (OTC) and unregulated: little information about transactions was available. This incident has sparked interest in reform of energy derivatives regulation. This report summarizes energy derivatives regulation and proposed… more
Date: May 12, 2008
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices

Description: Petroleum prices have continued to rise sharply in 2008, at one time reaching more than $140 per barrel of crude oil. At the same time the average monthly volume of imports of energy-related petroleum products has fallen slightly. The combination of sharply rising prices and a slightly lower level of imports of energy-related petroleum products translates into an escalating cost for those imports. The prices of energy imports have been on a steady rise since summer of 2007, defying the pattern … more
Date: August 12, 2008
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices

Description: Petroleum prices rose sharply in the first half of 2008, at one time reaching more than $140 per barrel of crude oil. Since July, however, petroleum prices and import volumes have fallen at a historically rapid pace; in November, prices of crude oil fell below $55 per barrel. The fall in the cost of energy imports combined with the drop in import volumes as a result of the slowdown in economic activity has reversed the trend of rising energy imports costs and will sharply reduce the overall cos… more
Date: November 13, 2008
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices

Description: Petroleum prices have continued to rise sharply in 2008, at one time reaching more than $140 per barrel of crude oil. At the same time the average monthly volume of imports of energy-related petroleum products has fallen slightly. The combination of sharply rising prices and a slightly lower level of imports of energy-related petroleum products translates into an escalating cost for those imports. The prices of energy imports have been on a steady rise since summer of 2007, defying the pattern … more
Date: October 10, 2008
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

"Price Gouging," the Antitrust Laws, and Vertical Integration in the Petroleum Industry: How They Are Related

Description: This report, which may be updated to further reflect congressional action, attempts to provide the antitrust context for prohibited practices, such as "price gouging"; notes prior congressional action concerning vertical divestiture in the petroleum industry; and provides information on the state "divorcement" statutes.
Date: May 28, 2008
Creator: Rubin, Janice E.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Royalty Relief for U.S. Deepwater Oil and Gas Leases

Description: The most common incentives for offshore oil and gas development include various forms of royalty relief. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to grant royalty relief to promote increased oil and gas production. The Deep Water Royalty Relief Act of 1995 (DWRRA) expanded the Secretary's royalty relief authority in the Gulf of Mexico outer continental shelf (OCS). This report outlines the ongoing controversy over royalty relief, related legislation… more
Date: September 18, 2008
Creator: Humphries, Marc
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Wave, Tidal, and In-Stream Energy Projects: Which Federal Agency Has the Lead?

Description: Developments in wave, tidal, and in-stream energy generation technologies -- also referred to as hydrokinetic or marine energy -- are beginning to gain momentum. At the same time, their regulatory status is still evolving, as shown by recent changes in law aimed at clarifying hte federal role in ocean wave and renewable energy. Two federal agencies currently appear to have a lead role in offshore renewable energy projects -- the Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) and… more
Date: October 7, 2008
Creator: Lane, Nic
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Coal Excise Tax Refunds: United States v. Clintwood Elkhorn Mining Co.

Description: In 1998, a U.S. district court held that the imposition of the coal excise tax, or black lung excise tax, on coal destined for export was unconstitutional. The process of refunding the tax has been controversial. This is because some coal producers and exporters have attempted to bypass the limitations in the Internal Revenue Code's refund scheme for bringing suit under the Export Clause in the Court of Federal Claims, seeking damages from the United States in the amount of coal excise taxes pa… more
Date: May 16, 2008
Creator: Lunder, Erika
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Delegation of the Federal Power of Eminent Domain to Nonfederal Entities

Description: Congress has on several occasions delegated its power of eminent domain to entities outside the federal government -- public and private corporations, interstate compact agencies, state and local governments, and even individuals. The constitutionality of such delegation, and of the exercise of such power by even private delegates, is today beyond dispute. However, among delegates with both federal and private characteristics, there is some subjectivity to deciding which to list in a report lim… more
Date: May 20, 2008
Creator: Meltz, Robert
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S.-Russian Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: Issues for Congress

Description: The United States and Russia signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement on May 6, 2008. President Bush submitted the agreement to Congress on May 13. This report discusses key policy issues related to that agreement, including future nuclear energy cooperation with Russia, U.S.-Russian bilateral relations, nonproliferation cooperation and Russia's policies toward Iran.
Date: July 30, 2008
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S.-Russian Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: Issues for Congress

Description: The United States and Russia signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement on May 6, 2008. President Bush submitted the agreement to Congress on May 13. This report discusses key policy issues related to that agreement, including future nuclear energy cooperation with Russia, U.S.-Russian bilateral relations, nonproliferation cooperation, and Russia's policies toward Iran.
Date: June 26, 2008
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Enron Loophole

Description: The Commodity Exchange Act exempts certain energy derivatives contracts from regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). These exemptions are popularly known as the "Enron loophole." Soaring energy prices have raised concerns about whether the CFTC has enough information about these unregulated markets to monitor energy trading in a comprehensive manner. A number of other bills in the 110th Congress would impose new reporting or regulatory requirements on the bilateral energy… more
Date: July 7, 2008
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Primer on Energy Derivatives and Their Regulation

Description: Prices of oil and other energy commodities are set in futures and derivatives markets, where producers, commercial users, and financial speculators buy and sell contracts whose value is linked to the price of the underlying commodity. Trading occurs on regulated futures exchanges and in a largely unregulated over-the-counter (OTC) market; both forms of trading are global in scope. This report presents basic information about these markets, the instruments traded, the regulatory framework, specu… more
Date: July 15, 2008
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Department of Defense Fuel Costs in Iraq

Description: Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the average price of fuels purchased for military operations in Iraq has steadily increased. The disparity between the higher price of fuel supplied to the United States Central Command compared to Iraq's civilian population has been a point of contention. Several factors contribute to the disparity, including the different types of fuel used by the military compared to Iraqi civilians, the Iraqi government's price subsidies, and the level pricing that the DO… more
Date: July 23, 2008
Creator: Andrews, Anthony & Schwartz, Moshe
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Oil Development on Federal Lands and the Outer Continental Shelf

Description: Over the past year, crude oil prices have nearly doubled, reaching record levels. Proposals before Congress include a number of legislative initiatives to increase domestic oil production. These proposals have fallen into two broad categories: (1) to open areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) which are currently under leasing moratoria; and (2) to encourage companies holding oil and gas leases to diligently develop leases to bring them into production. Proponents of these initiatives argue… more
Date: August 6, 2008
Creator: Humphries, Marc
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Nuclear Cooperation with Other Countries: A Primer

Description: In order for the United States to engage in civilian nuclear cooperation with other states, it must conclude a framework agreement that meets specific requirements under section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA). The AEA also provides for exemptions to these requirements, export control licensing procedures, and criteria for terminating cooperation. Congressional review is required for section 123 agreements; the AEA establishes special "fast track" parliamentary procedures by which Congress m… more
Date: August 12, 2008
Creator: Kerr, Paul K. & Nikitin, Mary Beth
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Natural Gas Passenger Vehicles: Availability, Cost, and Performance

Description: Higher gasoline prices and concerns over U.S. oil dependence have raised interest in natural gas vehicles (NGVs). Use of NGVs for personal transportation has focused on compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to gasoline. Consumer interest has grown, both for new NGVs as well as for conversions of existing personal vehicles to run on CNG. This report finds that the market for natural gas vehicles will likely remain limited unless the differential between natural gas and gasoline prices r… more
Date: October 20, 2008
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Water Rights Related to Oil Shale Development in the Upper Colorado River Basin

Description: Concerns over fluctuating oil prices and declining petroleum production worldwide have revived interest in oil shale as a potential resource. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) identified oil shale as a strategically important domestic resource and directed the Department of the Interior to promote commercial development. Oil shale development would require significant amounts of water, however, and water supply in the Colorado River Basin, where several oil shale reserves are located,… more
Date: November 18, 2008
Creator: Brougher, Cynthia
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The World Bank's Clean Technology Fund (CTF)

Description: The United States Treasury has led efforts to create a $10 billion Clean Technology Fund (CTF), located at the World Bank, to help fund deployment of clean technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing economies. The Bush administration has asked Congress to authorize and appropriate U.S. funding of $2 billion over three years (FY2009 to FY2011). While many Members of Congress have expressed support for the CTF, others have raised concerns, primarily with respect to whether the CT… more
Date: November 24, 2008
Creator: Weiss, Martin A. & Logan, Jeffrey
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Gas Hydrates: Resource and Hazard

Description: Solid gas hydrates are a potentially huge resource of natural gas for the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that there are about 85 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of technically recoverable gas hydrates in northern Alaska. Gas hydrates are both a potential resource and a risk, representing a significant hazard to conventional oil and gas drilling and production operations. This report addresses the issue of cost and method of recovering potential gas hydrates, as well as the advant… more
Date: November 26, 2008
Creator: Folger, Peter
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Energy: Selected Facts and Numbers

Description: This report discusses the energy policy that has been a recurring issue for Congress since the first major crisis in the 1970s. The report offers a general view of energy consumption trends, Table 1 shows consumption by economic sector — residential, commercial, transportation, and industry — from 1950 to the present.
Date: August 8, 2008
Creator: Glover, Carol & Behrens, Carl E.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Program and Funding

Description: This report describes appropriations of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP) funds for FY2008 and FY2007. It also discusses current issues and legislation related to LIHEAP. The report also discusses LIHEAP rules, including household eligibility and how funds may be used, and presents the most recent data available from HHS regarding household characteristics and benefit levels. Finally, the last section discusses how each category of LIHEAP funds is distributed to states, as well… more
Date: September 18, 2008
Creator: Perl, Libby
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Back to Top of Screen