The U.S. Senate has confirmed former Energy Workforce & Technology Council (EWTC) CEO Leslie Beyer as Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior, a role with sweeping oversight of U.S. oil, gas and mining activity on federal lands and offshore.
Beyer will serve under Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, overseeing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement. Together, these agencies manage 245 million acres of federal surface land, 700 million acres of mineral interests, and the 1.7 billion-acre Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)—critical jurisdictions for upstream oil and gas development.
A longtime industry advocate, Beyer led EWTC from 2014 to 2023, where she championed offshore energy access, streamlined permitting, and workforce development. Her confirmation comes at a pivotal moment as the Burgum administration seeks to balance domestic energy security with regulatory reforms.
Industry leaders praised Beyer’s appointment, citing her ability to bridge policy and operations. “Leslie brings a rare combination of political acumen and operations insight that’s critically needed at Interior,” said EWTC President Molly Determan. Colleagues noted that her experience navigating permitting, public lands access and emissions policy uniquely position her to influence U.S. offshore and federal onshore development.
Beyer’s confirmation is expected to play a major role in shaping the federal regulatory landscape for upstream operators, from emissions rules to offshore leasing decisions, as U.S. energy producers push for certainty and competitiveness in global markets.
