Congressman Graves Introduces BRIDGE Production Act to Strengthen American Energy Outlook

For Immediate Release: Friday, October 27, 2023
NOIA Contact: jwilliams@nullnoia.org

BRIDGE Production Act Strengthens American Energy Outlook

Washington, D.C. - National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito issued the following statement after Representative Garret Graves (R-LA)'s Bringing Reliable Investment into Domestic Gulf Energy (BRIDGE) Production Act of 2023 cleared the House Natural Resources Committee: 

“NOIA thanks Congressman Graves for his steadfast leadership in championing energy solutions that will uplift every American. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico stands as a premier energy region, yet the Biden administration's delay in promulgating a new leasing program and conducting the requisite environmental work for new lease sales has created an unnecessary multi-year gap in lease opportunities. The leasing gap is emerging at a time marked by resurgent energy inflation and increasing competition from higher-emitting nations like Russia and China.

“Backing offshore energy, particularly in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, signifies a clear path to sustaining American energy security and should remain a bipartisan priority for Congress. The lingering uncertainty surrounding future lease sales in this region poses a real threat to the energy, economic, and environmental benefits that the Gulf has generously provided to our nation for decades. The BRIDGE Production Act will remedy that and promises to inject much-needed certainty and predictability into U.S. energy production.

“We urge Congress to swiftly take action to consider and vote on the numerous bicameral and bipartisan bills that provide greater clarity and certainty for American offshore energy. Legislation, such as the BRIDGE Production Act and its companion bill in the Senate, offer much needed solutions to strengthen our nation’s energy outlook.

About the BRIDGE Production Act of 2023
The BRIDGE Production Act of 2023 is the companion piece to the Offshore Energy Security Act of 2023, which was introduced in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in July. Both pieces of legislation would:

• Mandate two offshore oil and gas lease sales in 2024 and two sales in 2025
• Provide certainty to offshore energy producers to continue investing in the United States
• Ensure offshore energy development continues under U.S. environmental standards
• Preserves the value of the 5-year offshore leasing program