Bipartisan legislation offered by Pennsylvania lawmakers on Capitol Hill seeks to relocate the federal Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to Pittsburgh.
U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) July 15 sponsored the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Relocation Act of 2025, H.R. 4415, alongside cosponsors U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and John Joyce (R-PA). U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) June 12 proposed the identical S. 2044 in their chamber.
“Southwestern Pennsylvania is helping our nation unleash energy dominance,” Reschenthaler said. “The fossil fuel workforce of southwestern Pennsylvania should be leading and developing our nation’s energy policies, not out of touch bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.”
The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management is responsible for the development of unconventional oil and gas resources, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.
Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-leading producer of natural gas, and the bill would ensure that U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) officials responsible for regulating the energy industry are closer to industry leaders and workers, the lawmakers said.
Western Pennsylvania also “can and should remain at the heart of powering America and growing our economy,” Deluzio said. “As we power America, we need to stay focused on lowering energy costs, creating solid jobs, growing our energy independence and resilience, and using innovative technologies to protect our air and water.”
If enacted, the bill would require the DOE Secretary to spearhead the office’s relocation, and then one year after that is completed would submit to Congress a report describing any attrition of employees during and after the relocation; the extent to which that attrition is attributable to that relocation; how the secretary will address attrition; and how that relocation affected the ability of employees of the office to negotiate through representatives regarding conditions of employment, according to the text of the bill.
“Pennsylvania has a rich history in energy production and innovation, fueling our nation and our allies for decades,” said Joyce. “By introducing this bipartisan legislation to move the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to Pittsburgh, we can ensure that the [DOE’s] employees are invested in the communities their work directly impacts.”