5-15-15

U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (NGP Photo), Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., this week each introduced separate proposals to increase energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and increase revenue sharing with states that support offshore energy production activities.

These targeted bills reflect the priorities of their sponsors. Murkowski’s bill would focus on Alaska’s OCS while Cassidy’s bill would focus on Gulf Coast States and Scott’s bill would focus on the Atlantic OCS. The proposals are:

·         S. 1278 (Murkowski), the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale Act

·         S. 1276 (Cassidy), the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act

·         S. 1279 (Scott), the Southern Atlantic Energy Security Act

“Alaska’s natural resources are vital to our prosperity, and sharing a portion of the revenues with producing states is a matter of simple fairness,” Sen. Murkowski said. “With exploration proceeding in the Chukchi, and the Alaska offshore emerging as a key part of our national energy security, it is critical that we allow state and coastal communities to invest in workforce development, science, and the infrastructure necessary to bring these vast resources to market.”

“Developing oil and natural gas resources in the Gulf of Mexico could create more than 200,000 jobs, add more than $18 billion per year to the U.S. economy and strengthen our national security,” said Sen. Cassidy said. “What is there to oppose? It’s time for everyone to get on board.”

On Tuesday, May 19, Murkowski, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, will hold a hearing on these bills along with 23 other pieces of energy supply legislation. This hearing marks the third of four that Murkowski is holding to consider legislative proposals for the broad energy bill she is assembling. That effort will pull together legislative proposals under four general titles – efficiency, infrastructure, supply, and accountability.

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