US President’s Joe Biden’s Administration Friday revealed its expected plan for its offshore oil and gas leasing in the next five years in the Gulf of Mexico.
Reflecting the US rapid and accelerating shift to clean energy, Interior Department announces fewest offshore oil and gas lease sales in history in the Proposed Final Program for 2024-2029, Department of the Interior said.
The plan phases down oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico; will enable offshore wind program to continue to rapidly grow.
The Proposed program includes zero oil and gas lease sales in the Atlantic, Pacific and Alaskan water, it noted.
Consistent with the requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) concerning offshore conventional and renewable energy leasing, the Department of Interior today (Friday) released the Proposed Final Program and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 2024-2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program), it said.
The Program includes a maximum of three potential oil and gas lease sales – the fewest oil and gas lease sales in history – in the Gulf of Mexico Program Area scheduled in 2025, 2027 and 2029, the department pointed out.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building a clean energy future that ensures America’s energy independence,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
“The Proposed Final Program, which represents the smallest number of oil and gas lease sales in history, sets a course for the Department to support the growing offshore wind industry and protect against the potential for environmental damage and adverse impacts to coastal communities”.
Source: Kuwait News Agency