"The potential is huge," Oil Minister Tord Lien said. "If the companies are successful in their exploration, Northern Norway will enter a new era."

Capt. McCormick discusses Vets4Energy, The Purple Heart Trail, energy and national security in 11-minute interview.

"You want to show appreciation for our military? Thank our South Carolina governor and U.S. Senators for their support of domestic energy production..."

"One of the best ways we can show our appreciation for our military is to press our federal policymakers to make it easier to develop energy resources here at home."

"It's just good to honor those who were injured fighting for this country."

"Carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation [in 2015 was] the lowest since 1993 and 21 percent below their 2005 level."

Pekau said that President Obama's recent actions to ban oil and gas development in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), implement regulations to drastically reduce and eliminate coal production and deny permitting for the Keystone XL pipeline negatively impacts our country's national security.

The U. S. Energy Information Administration foresees continued dominance for coal, gas and oil.

"That makes it all the more critical that the final leasing plan maintain maximum opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic, where Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi seas are estimated to contain more technically recoverable oil and natural gas than the Atlantic and Pacific coasts combined."

The changes announced Saturday come as the government plans wide-ranging reforms aimed at overhauling the Saudi economy amid lower oil prices that have eroded state revenues.