Government owned lands and waters are responsible for less and less of the energy produced in the United States. In a recent analysis, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated that production of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) on federal lands decreased by 7 percent during fiscal year 2013.(i) Fossil fuels produced on federal lands decreased from 17,230 trillion Btu in FY 2012 to 15,942 trillion Btu in FY 2013. In 2013, even though the federal government is the largest landowner in the country, federal lands produced 25 percent of the fossil fuels produced in America, down from 36 percent a decade ago. While crude oil produced on federal lands increased slightly (by 1 percent) in fiscal year 2013, that increase was more than offset by decreases in coal, natural gas, and natural gas plant liquids (NGLs) production. For example, federal coal production and federal onshore natural gas production each decreased by 9 percent during fiscal year 2013.
