State ‘Drive’ reorganization plan would create Natural Resources Commission and remake energy and permitting offices

Clay Parker, deputy director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, briefed the board April 16 on the ongoing reorganization of the state Department of Energy and Natural Resources — the administration’s so‑called “Drive” initiative — and summarized legislation filed for the 2025 session.

Parker said the reorganization started under executive order in early 2024 and that the plan’s implementation depends on legislation now before the Legislature. The proposal would rename the agency to the Department of Conservation and Energy and create a seven‑member Natural Resources Commission expected to include agency heads from natural‑resource related state agencies and to provide a venue for strategic coordination, public outreach and a single place for intergovernmental coordination, federal response and legislative…