New Gulf of Mexico WEAs Underscore Need for Expanded Oil and Gas Leasing

Washington, D.C. – National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito issued the following statement after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) designated four new Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico: 

“Moving offshore wind lease opportunities forward across all of our coasts will drive investment and interest in this energy opportunity. NOIA members play a pivotal role in advancing both offshore oil and gas projects, as well as offshore wind ventures, and can no doubt continue evolving the Gulf of Mexico into a broad-based and integrated energy hub.

"The success of offshore wind and offshore oil and gas goes hand in hand. However, as Chairman Manchin emphasized during yesterday's Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee hearing, much of the uncertainty surrounding American offshore wind is linked to the limited number of offshore oil and gas lease sales within the new federal program. With only three spaced-out lease sales, we face multiple periods where no wind leases can be issued. Further, any delays or reductions in Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases, falling below the 60 million-acre threshold set by the Inflation Reduction Act, may trigger a prolonged moratorium on wind leasing.

"To secure offshore wind's success, we need more Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sales. We urge Congress to act promptly, considering solutions like the BRIDGE Production Act, which cleared the House Natural Resources Committee yesterday by a bipartisan vote."

About NOIA 
The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public and our environment.