A committee of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to pass the SECURE American Energy Act, which will – among other things – promote expanded E&P for offshore hydrocarbons.
SECURE stands for Strengthening the Economy with Critical Untapped Resources to Expand American Energy and it aims to provide regulatory certainty and reliability to expand access to oil and gas in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
The House Committee on Natural Resources passed the bill with bipartisan support. Next it must be voted on in the House.
Environmental groups concerned about the Act claim it would transfer management authority for permitting of federal oil and gas resources to the states, weakening protections. They also say it would weaken protection for marine mammals.
But industry body the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) praised the Act because it would expand access to more resources on federal lands (and waters) while also giving producers the benefit of certainty, which would in turn drive growth and increase employment.
