Nationwide Ocean Industries Affiliation (NOIA) President Erik Milito issued the next assertion after the Bureau of Ocean Power Administration (BOEM) launched the Draft Programmatic Environmental Affect Assertion (EIS) for oil and fuel 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 fuel 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 position in bolstering our power safety, driving financial progress, and enhancing our geopolitical power.
“Whereas this development is welcome, we imagine 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 fuel leasing actions. The Gulf of Mexico is extra than simply an power supply; it is a cornerstone of financial stability, power innovation, job creation, and environmental stewardship. The Gulf of Mexico oil and fuel 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 out there acreage. The Gulf’s strategic worth lies in its capability to ship power effectively, help hundreds of American jobs, and supply a pathway to decrease carbon power options on a world scale. Oil manufacturing from the Gulf of Mexico is acknowledged by numerous impartial research to be among the many lowest-carbon intensive barrels on the earth. It’s clearly higher to provide our power from the Gulf of Mexico than for the worldwide market to depend on overseas sources with greater 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. tasks. A extra strong schedule would higher mirror the Gulf’s indispensable position in our power panorama and help each power 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 power safety, financial progress, and whole U.S. power management.”
