On November 8, 2017, a U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee passed legislation to increase energy development on public lands and waters by reducing federal regulations, streamlining the permitting process and creating a revenue-sharing partnership with coastal states.
This legislation– the Strengthening the Economy with Critical Untapped Resources to Expand American Energy Act — would provide for Alaska and Atlantic Coast states to take shares of revenue from future offshore oil drilling in those areas; end the president’s authority to withdraw offshore areas for drilling; and require all planned offshore drilling rights sales to occur.
On federal land, it would allow states to take over permitting and oversight authority for drilling on federal lands within their borders, which Republicans said would remove unnecessary federal red tape.
