A champion of President Bush's energy bill, Barton was nominated as committee chairman by Republican leaders but must still be confirmed in this post by the entire House of Representatives. This is expected to happen later this month.

Barton, 54, in his tenth term as congressman, worked as an engineering consultant before he was elected to Congress in 1974 and has long been considered an energy expert on Capitol Hill. He is currently chairman of the panel's subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.

He is an advocate of oil and gas drilling on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The Center said his top campaign contributor so far in the current election cycle is Anadarko Petroleum (APC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , of Houston, which is already drilling in parts of Alaska. Anadarko couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

It said Anadarko's employees and their families had given Barton's campaign $48,000 last year, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. House members are up for re-election every two years; the next election is in November.

Barton's Washington office referred calls about the Center's report to a spokesman for his campaign, who could not be reached for comment.

Outgoing committee chairman Rep. Billy Tauzin, who is leaving Congress this year, has received $1.2 million from the energy sector since 1989, the Center said.

And Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, got $1.1 million in campaign contributions from the energy sector since 1989, the Center said.

Tauzin announced recently he was stepping down because of a bleeding ulcer. The Louisiana Republican has been pursued for a top job at the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying group.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is one of the most important panels in Congress, with influence on energy policy, clean air rules, food and drug safety and telecommunications.

The Center's figures on campaign contributions include donations from political action committees, company employees and their families. 1989 was the year the Center started getting complete data from the Federal Election Commission.