History of the Energy and Mineral Resources Mission Area

Science on geologic energy and mineral resources has been central to the USGS mission since it was established in 1879. The Organic Act of 1879 created the USGS and directed the new agency to classify public lands and examine the geologic structure, mineral resources, and mineral products within and outside of the country. 

As the Energy and Mineral Resources Mission Area, we continue this essential mission of understanding the Nation’s geology and geologic resources, while modernizing our science and data to meet the Nation's needs.

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Our activities are authorized and guided by the following documents:

43 U.S.C. 31 | The Organic Act of March 3, 1879 

An act that established the Geological Survey, as amended (1962); and restated in annual appropriation acts. This section provides, among others, that the Geological Survey is directed to classify the public lands and examine the geological structure, mineral resources, and products within and outside the national domain. This section also establishes the Office of the Director of the Geological Survey, under the Interior Department. The Director is appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. P.L. 102-285 Sec. 10(a) establishes United States Geological Survey as its official name. 

50 U.S.C. 98 | Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act of 1946 as amended by the Revision Act of 1979.  

Supports the USGS programs for assessment of domestic minerals, especially for strategic and critical minerals, to complement the Federal mineral stockpile program. Section 98(g) of the Act requires USGS “to conduct inquiries into the economic conditions affecting mining and materials processing industries ... and related purposes as authorized by law and to publish and disseminate data …." The USGS provides scientific, technologic, and economic investigations concerning the development, mining, preparation, treatment, and utilization of ore and other mineral substances. 

42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. | National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended.  

Requires prior-to-action determination that any major Federal action will not have a significantly adverse effect upon the environment. The USGS is called upon to provide technical review or inputs to resource-related actions proposed by other Federal agencies. 

30 U.S.C. 21(a) | Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970.  

Emphasizes Department of the Interior responsibility for assessing the mineral resources of the Nation. 

30 U.S.C 1601 et seq. | National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980.  

Reemphasizes the responsibility of the Department of the Interior to assess the mineral resources of the Nation. 

16 U.S.C. 1604. | Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976.  

The USGS is a party in an interagency agreement with the Forest Service to assess the mineral resources of National Forests. 

30 U.S.C. 1101, 1121, 1123 | Geothermal Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974.  

Provides that the Department of the Interior is responsible for the evaluation and assessment of the geothermal resource base and the development of exploration technologies. The USGS and other appropriate agencies, develop and carry out a plan for the inventorying of all forms of geothermal resources of Federal lands; conduct regional surveys; publish and make available maps, reports, and other documents developed from the surveys; and participate with non-Federal entities in research to develop, improve, and test technologies for the discovery and evaluation of geothermal resources. 

30 U.S.C. 201 | Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976.  

Provides that no lease sale may be held on Federal lands unless the lands containing the coal deposits have been included in a comprehensive land-use plan. Provides that the Secretary is authorized and directed to conduct a comprehensive exploratory program designed to obtain sufficient data and information to evaluate the extent, location, and potential for developing the known recoverable coal resources within the coal lands. The USGS provides data and information from coal research and field investigations, which are useful to the BLM to meet the requirements of the coal leasing program. Further, the Secretary, (Sec. 208–1(b)) through the USGS, "... is authorized to conduct seismic, geophysical, geochemical, or stratigraphic drilling, or to contract for or purchase the results of such exploratory activities from commercial or other sources which may be needed to implement the ..." exploratory program. 

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) (P.L. 94–163, 89 Stat. 871, enacted December 22, 1975) 

The Act responded to the 1973 oil crisis by creating a comprehensive approach to federal energy policy. The primary goals of EPCA are to increase energy production and supply, reduce energy demand, provide energy efficiency, and give the executive branch additional powers to respond to disruptions in energy supply. Most notably, EPCA established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products, and Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations. 

30 U.S.C. 1028 | Energy Policy Act of 1992.  

Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the USGS and in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to establish a cooperative government private sector program with respect to hot dry rock geothermal energy resources on public lands. Supports recurring assessments of the undiscovered oil and gas resources of the United States. 

42 U.S.C. 6217 | Energy Act of 2000.  

The Act instructs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy, to conduct and regularly update an inventory of all onshore Federal lands. The inventory will identify (1) USGS reserve estimates of the oil and gas resources underlying these lands, (2) restrictions or impediments to development of such resources, and (3) furnish such inventory data to the House Committee on Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Authorizes appropriations as necessary for implementation. 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) 

Sets forth an energy research and development program covering: (1) energy efficiency; (2) renewable energy; (3) oil and gas; (4) coal; (5) Indian energy; (6) nuclear matters; (7) vehicles and fuels, including ethanol; (8) hydrogen; (9) electricity; (10) energy tax incentives; (11) hydropower and geothermal energy; and (12) climate change technology. 

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 also includes amendments to the Energy Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C.6217). Specifically, Section 364 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires: 

• The Secretary of Energy to make periodic assessments of economically recoverable resources accounting for a range of parameters such as current costs, commodity prices, technology, and regulations using the inventory (See the description of the inventory in the section above, 42 U.S.C. 6217 Energy Act of 2000). 
• The Secretary of the Interior, use the same assessment methodology across all geological provinces, areas, and regions in preparing and issuing national geological assessments to ensure accurate comparisons of geological resources. 

Energy Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-260, enacted 12/27/2020) 

Sets forth in Section 623 an update to Geothermal Resource Assessments directing the Secretary of the Interior through the United States Geological Survey to update the 2008 United States geothermal resource assessment carried out by the United States Geological Survey, and to the maximum extent practicable include assessments for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the States of Alaska and Hawaii. Specifically, it directs the USGS to improve the resolution of resource potential at systematic temperatures and depths, to quantify the total potential to co-produce geothermal energy and minerals, to incorporate data relevant to underground thermal energy storage and exchange, and to produce high resolutions map that indicate key subsurface parameters for electric and direct use resources as well as induced seismicity. 

Section 7002, Mineral Security, of the Energy Act of 2020 defined “critical mineral”, and directed the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the USGS to publish the list of critical minerals and provide updates no less than every 3 years, it requires the MRP to conduct a national assessment of every critical mineral resource, and it requires MRP to publish the Annual Critical Minerals Outlook. The Act also directs MRP to work with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Science Foundation to design an extramural granting program for research and education.  

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58, enacted 11/15/2021) Sec. 40201. Earth Mapping Resources Initiative.  

This section of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law codifies the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative to accelerate mapping efforts at the USGS and authorizes $320,000,000 for the period of FY22-26 to complete an initial comprehensive national modern surface and subsurface mapping and data integration effort to better understand our domestic mineral resources.