Congressional members urge increased OCS energy access

April 24, 2015
Members of the US Congress urge increased access to energy resources on the outer continental shelf. 

Offshore staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the US Congress urge increased access to energy resources on the outer continental shelf. The 163 members of Congress sent a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in response to Interior's 2017-2020 draft OCS leasing proposal.

The letter notes that the proposal offers an historically low number of leases while imposing greater restrictions on offshore energy activity, and Secretary Jewell’s most recent comments that leases offered in the may be reduced further.

“A robust five-year OCS program should be a key component of the administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy that can continue to advance the job creation, economic growth, and energy security gains that the U.S. has enjoyed thanks to the recent boom in energy production on state and private lands,” says the letter.

“While we were pleased to see the administration finally take a step in the right direction by including one potential lease sale in theAtlantic in the draft plan, this step was offset by the additional restrictions in the Atlantic and area withdrawals in the offshore of Alaska.”

04/24/2015