President Donald Trump recently proposed a $193.4 million fiscal year 2020 budget for BOEM to safely and responsibly manage offshore energy and mineral resources.
The president’s budget request reflects careful analysis and focuses on the execution of BOEM’s mission, including offshore oil and gas exploration and leasing, offshore renewable energy, marine minerals management, and science-based analyses.
It continues to support efforts vital to advancing the president’s Executive Order 13795, Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, which requires BOEM to develop and implement a new National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) in conformity with the provisions of the OCS Lands Act.
“This Administration calls for boosting domestic energy production to stimulate the nation’s economy and strengthen America’s energy security, while providing for environmental stewardship,” said BOEM’s Acting Director Walter Cruickshank. “The FY 2020 budget request allows BOEM to continue its efforts to advance these goals as part of our statutory mission.”
With this request, BOEM proposes to focus resources in the following areas:
2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program): Pursuant to Executive Order 13795 – Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy – and Secretarial Order 3350 – America-First Offshore Energy Strategy – BOEM initiated efforts to develop a new National OCS Program in FY 2017. These efforts continued through FY 2018 and FY 2019. For FY 2020, BOEM requires additional funds to support personnel and contracts necessary to implement the new National OCS Program. Note: The FY 2020 Budget assumes continued lease sales in areas available under the current OCS 5-Year Program, but does not presume a particular secretarial decision on the 2019-2024 Program.
Renewable Energy: In recognition of the role renewable energy can play in achieving this Administration’s America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, BOEM will continue to advance renewable energy through an aggressive leasing program, while ensuring that its environmental review and permitting process for renewable energy projects is coordinated, predictable, and transparent.
Marine Minerals: BOEM facilitates access to and manages OCS marine minerals, which include sand and gravel resources that are used for coastal resilience projects (e.g., hurricane recovery and response, beach nourishment and coastal restoration activities, and protection and restoration of important ecological habitats). BOEM also seeks funding to initiate an OCS Critical Mineral Inventory to assess the nation’s offshore supply of critical minerals, potentially reducing the nation’s vulnerability to economic disruption, as well as negative national security impacts caused by a lapse in imports.
Environmental Analyses: The need for energy must go hand-in-hand with responsible environmental stewardship. In accordance with Secretarial Order 3355, BOEM is conducting its environmental analyses in a transparent, coordinated, and streamlined fashion to ensure that decisions are informed by the best available science. BOEM will also continue to use environmental science as the foundation for sound policy decisions.
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