Federal

More Energy More Jobs Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 1,509 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to create a new five-year oil and gas leasing program for areas in ocean waters off U.S. coasts. The bill requires at least two lease sales per year in the Gulf of Mexico starting in fiscal year 2023, and sets timelines for environmental reviews and permit decisions for offshore oil and gas projects.

Who It Affects

The Secretary of the Interior, governors of coastal states, companies bidding on oil and gas leases, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.

Key Provisions

- Coastal state governors can nominate ocean areas near their waters for oil and gas leasing, and the Secretary must include nominated areas in the draft leasing program (Sec. 2(a)). - The Secretary must include state-nominated areas in the final program if development will best meet national energy needs and follows established principles. If areas are excluded, the Secretary must explain why in a report to the governor and House committee (Sec. 2(a)). - Governors receive 60 days to submit alternative views responding to any rejection of their nominated areas (Sec. 2(a)). - Beginning in fiscal year 2023, the Secretary must hold a minimum of two region-wide lease sales annually in the Gulf of Mexico, each including areas in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area and Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (Sec. 3). - The Secretary must complete environmental assessments within one year and environmental impact statements within two years from the date of notice, with possible extensions up to six months per agreement (Sec. 3). - The Secretary must review and decide on offshore exploration and development permit applications within 75 calendar days of receipt, or grant the permit if no clear grounds for denial exist (Sec. 3).

What Changes

A new five-year oil and gas leasing program will be developed that requires considering areas nominated by coastal state governors. Mandatory annual lease sales will occur in the Gulf of Mexico with specific timelines for environmental reviews and permit decisions that did not previously exist in this form.

Important Definitions

- Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area: Defined by reference to the meaning in the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. - Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area: The area designated in the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program document from January 2015.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1559 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing program under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 10, 2023 Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. CUELLAR, and Mr. MOORE of Alabama) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing program under section 18 of the Outer Conti- nental Shelf Lands Act, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘More Energy More 4 Jobs Act of 2023’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1559 IH SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO ISSUE NEW FIVE-YEAR OIL AND 1 GAS LEASING PROGRAM. 2 (a) REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW 3 LEASING PROGRAMS.—Section 18(c) of the Outer Conti- 4 nental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344(c)) is amended— 5 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 6 paragraphs (5) and (6); and 7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol- 8 lowing: 9 ‘‘(2) DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM.—In pre- 10 paring each leasing program under this section, the 11 Secretary shall— 12 ‘‘(A) allow the Governor of a coastal State 13 to nominate for leasing under such program 14 areas of the outer Continental Shelf that are 15 adjacent to the waters of that State; 16 ‘‘(B) include each area nominated under 17 subparagraph (A) in the draft leasing program 18 under this section and consider leasing of such 19 areas as an additional or alternative Federal ac- 20 tion; and 21 ‘‘(C) include the established program re- 22 source estimates that are available, and develop 23 resource estimates for the areas for which such 24 data are not available including for the areas 25 nominated under subparagraph (A). 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1559 IH ‘‘(3) INCLUSION OF STATE-NOMINATED 1 AREAS.— 2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 3 include in the final program issued under this 4 section each area nominated by a State under 5 paragraph (2) if the Secretary determines that 6 development in such area will best meet na- 7 tional energy needs and is consistent with the 8 principles set forth in subsection (a). 9 ‘‘(B) REPORT.—If the Secretary omits any 10 area nominated under paragraph (2), the Sec- 11 retary shall submit to the Governor that nomi- 12 nated the area and the Committee on Natural 13 Resources of the House of Representatives a re- 14 port detailing why oil and gas development in 15 such area do not best meet national energy 16 needs and is not consistent with the principles 17 set forth in subsection (a). 18 ‘‘(C) ALTERNATIVE VIEWS.—After sub- 19 mittal of the report required by subparagraph 20 (B), each such Governor shall be provided 60 21 days within which to offer alternative views on 22 why the Secretary’s findings are not consistent 23 with the principles set forth in subsection (a). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1559 IH ‘‘(4) NOTICE OF EFFECTIVENESS OF PLAN.— 1 The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register 2 a notice of the effectiveness of each oil and gas leas- 3 ing program issued under this section on the date 4 such program takes effect.’’. 5 SEC. 3. ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO REGION. 6 Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 7 (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amended by adding at the end the 8 following: 9 ‘‘(j) ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO RE- 10 GION.— 11 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 12 ‘‘(A) CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO PLAN- 13 NING AREA.—The term ‘Central Gulf of Mexico 14 Planning Area’ has the meaning given the term 15 ‘Central Planning Area’ in section 102 of the 16 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 17 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109–432). 18 ‘‘(B) WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO PLAN- 19 NING AREA.—The term ‘Western Gulf of Mex- 20 ico Planning Area’ means the Western Gulf of 21 Mexico Planning Area of the outer Continental 22 Shelf, as designated in the document entitled 23 ‘2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1559 IH Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program’ and 1 dated January 2015. 2 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL LEASE SALES.—Notwithstanding 3 any other provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 4 2023, the Secretary shall hold a minimum of 2 re- 5 gion-wide lease sales annually in the Gulf of Mexico 6 pursuant to this Act, each of which shall include 7 areas in— 8 ‘‘(A) the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning 9 Area; and 10 ‘‘(B) the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning 11 Area. 12 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.— 13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the 14 lease sales under paragraph (2), the Secretary 15 shall issue leases to the highest responsible 16 qualified bidder or bidders. 17 ‘‘(B) AREAS INCLUDED IN LEASE SALES.— 18 In carrying out the lease sales under paragraph 19 (2), the Secretary shall include in each lease 20 sale all unleased areas that are not subject to 21 restrictions as of the date of the lease sale. 22 ‘‘(4) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.— 23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to each 24 lease sale required under paragraph (2), the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1559 IH Secretary shall conduct any environmental re- 1 view required by the National Environmental 2 Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 3 ‘‘(B) TIMELINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RE- 4 VIEW.— 5 ‘‘(i) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall 6 complete an environmental review con- 7 ducted pursuant to subparagraph (A) not 8 later than— 9 ‘‘(I) with respect to an environ- 10 mental assessment, 1 year after the 11 date on which the Secretary issues a 12 notice of intent to prepare such envi- 13 ronmental assessment; and 14 ‘‘(II) with respect to an environ- 15 mental impact statement, 2 years 16 after the date on which the Secretary 17 issues a notice of intent to prepare 18 such environmental impact statement. 19 ‘‘(ii) ADJUSTMENT OF TIMELINE.—An 20 entity that is issued a lease pursuant to a 21 lease sale under paragraph (2) may enter 22 into— 23 ‘‘(I) 1 or more agreements with 24 the Secretary to extend a deadline de- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1559 IH scribed in clause (i) by not more than 1 6 months for each such agreement; 2 and 3 ‘‘(II) an agreement with the Sec- 4 retary to otherwise adjust any dead- 5 line under this subparagraph. 6 ‘‘(k) PERMITTING.— 7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to sovereign con- 8 tracting rights and obligations, the Secretary shall 9 review and grant or deny in accordance with para- 10 graph (2) any application for a permit or other ap- 11 proval for offshore oil and natural gas exploration, 12 development, and production activities under a lease 13 issued pursuant to this Act by not later than the 14 earlier of— 15 ‘‘(A) 75 calendar days after the date on 16 which the application is received by the Bureau 17 of Ocean Energy Management or the Bureau of 18 Safety and Environmental Enforcement; or 19 ‘‘(B) any other applicable deadline re- 20 quired by Federal law. 21 ‘‘(2) APPROVAL OR DENIAL.— 22 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Absent clear grounds 23 for denial of an application for a permit or 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 1559 IH other approval described in paragraph (1), the 1 Secretary shall grant the permit or approval. 2 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—If the Secretary de- 3 nies an application for a permit or other ap- 4 proval under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 5 shall provide to the applicant written notice ex- 6 plaining the grounds for the denial.’’. 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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