Biden administration resume oil leases on federal land

(Washington, DC)  --  The Biden Administration is resuming oil leases on federal land.  The decision was announced last week.  The land sales, however, come with higher royalty charges for gas and oil produced and a sharp reduction in acreage available to lease.  The Interior Department says about 144-thousand acres are available to be leased for oil and gas drilling.  This comes as the Biden Administration has been under pressure for weeks to address soaring energy prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.