Nationwide Ocean Industries Affiliation (NOIA) President Erik Milito issued the next assertion after the Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration (BOEM) launched the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impression Assertion (EIS) for oil and gasoline leasing within the Gulf of Mexico:
“We’re happy to see BOEM lastly transferring ahead with the subsequent step towards the primary Gulf of Mexico oil and gasoline lease sale of the 2024-2029 offshore leasing program. This isn’t nearly securing a lease sale in 2025; it is about affirming the Gulf’s pivotal function in bolstering our vitality safety, driving financial development, and enhancing our geopolitical energy.
“Whereas this development is welcome, we consider this course of ought to have been initiated concurrently with the event of the total 2024-2029 Leasing Program to keep away from delays in oil and gasoline leasing actions. The Gulf of Mexico is extra than simply an vitality supply; it is a cornerstone of financial stability, vitality innovation, job creation, and environmental stewardship. The Gulf of Mexico oil and gasoline program shines as the first funding mechanism for conservation and recreation efforts, together with funding for our treasured nationwide parks.
“As we sit up for this lease sale, NOIA stresses the significance of maximizing obtainable acreage. The Gulf’s strategic worth lies in its capability to ship vitality effectively, help hundreds of American jobs, and supply a pathway to decrease carbon vitality options on a world scale. Oil manufacturing from the Gulf of Mexico is acknowledged by varied impartial research to be among the many lowest-carbon intensive barrels on the planet. It’s clearly higher to supply our vitality from the Gulf of Mexico than for the worldwide market to depend upon international sources with increased emissions and weaker environmental efficiency.
“Moreover, we urge Congress and the incoming administration to reassess the restricted schedule of solely three lease gross sales within the present offshore program and take steps to revive our leasing program to bolster funding in U.S. initiatives. A extra strong schedule would higher mirror the Gulf’s indispensable function in our vitality panorama and help each vitality improvement and environmental stewardship. NOIA is dedicated to working with all stakeholders to advocate for insurance policies that uphold the Gulf of Mexico as a key pillar in vitality safety, financial progress, and whole U.S. vitality management.”
