E2-Wire

The bipartisan leadership of the House Natural Resources Committee wants the Interior Department to slow down development of revised rules unveiled last week to regulate oil and gas “fracking” on public lands.

The request to quadruple the public comment period from 30 days to 120 days underscores dissatisfaction with the proposal on the left and right, although not for the same reasons.

“We jointly believe that this [30-day] timeframe is unacceptable and not nearly long enough to allow the public to formulate in-depth and constructive comments on this 171 page, complicated rule,” Reps. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) wrote in a new letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

The bill, authored by Rep. Van Hollen, contains $181 billion in replacement deficit reduction over 10 years.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Monday said there is no proof climate change caused Hurricane Sandy.

Christie rejected an accusation by public radio station WNYC that New Jersey Transit was systemically unprepared for extreme storms in the run up to Sandy.

House Democrats this week will challenge Republican plans to call up legislation that provides for congressional approval of the Keystone pipeline, and removes the need for presidential approval.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) on Monday said he would raise a question of the privileges of the House in order to challenge consideration of H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act. House Republicans are expected to call up that bill on Wednesday.

The House is expected to easily pass a Keystone XL pipeline approval bill this week with bipartisan support, but liberal Democrats who oppose the project will try to land some punches too.

Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) wants a floor vote on an amendment requiring that oil transported through the Canada-to-Texas oil sands pipeline — and any refined products made from it — remain in the U.S.

Keystone opponents say the pipeline would fuel exports from the Gulf Coast rather than U.S. consumption, an argument aimed at countering claims that Keystone would enhance U.S. energy security by boosting supplies from a friendly neighbor.

The New York Times reveals that Obama administration and European Union officials are working to resolve trade battles with China over its subsidized solar panel exports.

“The plan that is starting to take shape would essentially carve up the global solar panel market into a series of regional markets,” the Times reports.

Bloomberg follows the story here.

“Michael Froman, a White House adviser and President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the U.S. trade office, informed senators in recent weeks that the U.S. is exploring talks with China and the 27-nation EU, according to a Senate aide, who asked not to be identified in describing the matter,” Bloomberg reports.

The Los Angeles Times reports on a new wrinkle in the battle over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which remains off-limits to energy companies.

Reuters reports on European Union plans to explore the environmental effect of hydraulic fracturing.

Ernest Moniz will be sworn in as Energy secretary in the department’s cafeteria Tuesday, several days after winning Senate approval.

Green groups have used “sue and settle” tactics to force more than 100 new rules from President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new Chamber of Commerce study released Monday.  

Oil-and-gas companies are concerned about reporting requirements for doing business with Burma now that the United States has established relations with the country.

Companies are lobbying the State Department on the reporting issue as the administration works to build diplomatic ties. President Obama on Monday hosted Burmese President Thein Sein at the White House in the latest sign of growing cooperation.

Oil-and gas-firms are interested in buying blocs in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal off of Burma’s western coast. Burma has offered up several plots to European Union bidders in recent auctions, and U.S. firms are also beginning to show interest.

Activist Tom Steyer said approving the Keystone pipeline would create political hurdles for Obama's second-term agenda.