The House Committee on Natural Resources recently passed H.R.4239, the “Strengthening the Economy with Critical Untapped Resources to Expand American Energy Act,” which promotes the further development of offshore wind power but also the exploration and production of oil and gas.
The bipartisan legislation is sponsored by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente González, D-Texas.
According to a two-page summary of the legislation, the bill reforms existing regulatory frameworks for energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf and the onshore acreage under federal ownership. For offshore wind, the bill requires the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to conduct feasbility studies for offshore wind lease sales off the coasts of California, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For oil and natural gas, it increases access to the resources on the OCS and “fairly compensates” producing states.
“The SECURE American Energy Act will create good jobs in communities all across our country, empowers states and optimizes onshore resource management, and raises revenue-sharing caps that dedicate critical funds to Louisiana’s coastal restoration,” says Scalise, adding that he “look[s] forward to passing it through the House with a strong vote and getting it on President Trump’s desk so he can sign it into law.”
“After months of stakeholder input, committee oversight and multiple legislative drafts, we have a comprehensive bipartisan upstream energy bill to bring to the House floor,” says Bishop. “These onshore and offshore provisions provide certainty and access to spur investment and job creation through the development of federal lands. With this legislation, we can unlock our vast energy potential, advance American energy dominance and generate revenues at all levels of government.”
More information on the bill can be found here.
