Congressional Hearings Highlight Bipartisan Support for Offshore Energy

The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA) made the following statements in response to today’s U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and U.S. House Natural Resources hearings to examine offshore energy development in federal lands and waters.

“Testimony at today’s congressional hearings showed both bipartisan support for domestic offshore energy leasing and bipartisan concern for President Biden’s indefinite leasing pause and review, including remarks from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards,” said LMOGA President Tyler Gray. “It remains abundantly clear that limiting energy development will stifle Louisiana’s economic growth and threaten thousands of jobs, but it will also undermine decades of environmental progress.”

“Gulf of Mexico production generates 16% of the nation’s energy with one of the lowest carbon footprints of any basin in the world, and any effort to halt, delay, or reduce in size federal leasing offshore would increase dependence on foreign oil sources resulting in higher global emissions,” said Gray. “Oil and natural gas companies compete on a global market and the Administration’s decision to pause federal leasing and development is impacting long term investment decisions that will have devastating long-term impacts on our jobs, our economy and our coast.”

“Louisiana’s oil and natural gas industry shares the desire to tackle climate change, and our industry is investing in new technology and innovations to help achieve meaningful emissions reductions. We need smart, sound transitional policies to successfully achieve our climate goals that reflect the reality that long term demand for reliable sources of energy will continue to grow. The Gulf of Mexico will and should continue to meet that demand.”