Lagos — The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) has issued a response to President Biden’s planned unilateral ban of new offshore oil and gas activities across vast swaths of America’s offshore areas under Section 12(a).
NOIA President Erik Milito issued the following statement: “The decision to unilaterally block areas from future offshore oil and gas development is a strategic error, driven not by science or voter mandate, but by political motives. This move directly undermines American energy consumers and jeopardizes the vast benefits tied to a thriving domestic energy sector.
“Such moratoriums threaten our economic and national security by creating political barriers to our own resources. Even if there’s no immediate interest in some areas, it’s crucial for the federal government to maintain the flexibility to adapt its energy policy, especially in response to unexpected global changes like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Blanket bans only serve to transfer energy production and economic opportunities abroad, inadvertently bolstering countries like Russia at the expense of U.S. interests.
“NOIA will work with the incoming Trump administration and Congress to reverse this ill-conceived policy, advocating for a balanced, pragmatic approach to offshore energy that promotes both our energy independence and economic growth.”
