Congress Provides Critical Fix to the Broken GOM Permitting Process in Major Energy Package


Houston, Texas, U.S., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The EnerGeo Alliance today issued the following statement from Vice President, Global Policy & Government Affairs, Dustin Van Liew on the House passage of the landmark Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R.1).

“As the global trade alliance for the energy geoscience industry, representing the geoscience companies, innovators, and energy developers that use earth science to discover, develop, and deliver energy to our world, the EnerGeo Alliance strongly supported H.R. 1. – The Lower Energy Costs Act. We hail the passage of this most important bill that will benefit the U.S. and global energy economy in many ways by reducing the challenges of discovering, developing, and delivering energy to America’s citizens. 

“EnerGeo has long supported and advocated for affordable and accessible energy for all.  This legislation, if passed by the Senate and signed into law, would do just that, improve the lives of the American people by making energy more affordable and accessible.  Additionally, it will also enable energy made in the U.S., spurring the increase in the production and export of American energy, growing the American economy.

“From an energy geoscience industry perspective, H.R.1 will reduce unwarranted regulatory burdens and delays for Gulf of Mexico geoscience surveys that have unnecessarily impeded this scientific research critical to developing and producing existing and future low-carbon resources and energy solutions in the energy-rich GOM. Geoscientific surveys are not only necessary for accessing mainstay sources of U.S. energy but are also critical for future offshore wind and carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.

“H.R.1 addresses Incidental Take Regulation (ITR) authorizations and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) permits, effectively providing compliance with National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) regulation under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Specifically, the bill deems permits issued by BOEM for GOM G&G to be fully compliant with both the MMPA and Endangered Species Act (ESA), while maintaining the same high-level standard of environmental mitigation and monitoring required by NMFS.

“We look forward to the Senate taking up this important bill. We are grateful for the comprehensive way in which Congress is tackling the hurdles to ensure that America's energy is secure, accessible, and affordable for American families, and importantly harnessed to supply growing domestic and global demand.”

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About the EnerGeo Alliance

Founded in 1971, the EnerGeo Alliance is a global trade association for the energy geoscience industry, the intersection where earth science and energy meet. The EnerGeo Alliance and its member companies span more than 50 countries, and together, unify to open the gateway to the safe discovery, development, and delivery of mainstay sources of energy, alternative energy and low-carbon energy solutions that meet our growing world’s needs.

 

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