Sponsors (14)
The bill protects coastal communities, public health, and marine environments in five Northeastern states by barring offshore leasing there, but it does so at the cost of foregone regional energy development, potential job losses, possible higher energy costs, and reduced federal flexibility.
Coastal residents, businesses, and tourism/fishing economies in ME, NH, MA, RI, and CT avoid new offshore leasing, protecting local jobs and revenues tied to fisheries and tourism.
Homeowners and communities near the shore face lower risk of oil spills and related health and environmental harms because offshore drilling and associated spill risk are prevented in the five-state region.
Fisheries, recreational ocean users, and wildlife benefit from preserved marine ecosystems and coastal recreational access in the five-state region due to the ban on leasing.
Energy workers, construction workers, and related local businesses in the region may lose potential jobs and investment that offshore oil and gas projects would have brought.
Taxpayers and homeowners in the region could face higher energy costs or greater reliance on other, potentially more expensive fuel sources if local offshore development would have lowered supply or prices.
Federal decisionmaking is constrained because the Secretary of the Interior loses flexibility to consider future technological, economic, or environmental changes when assessing leasing in these areas.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Statutorily prohibits any federal oil or natural gas leasing on the outer Continental Shelf off ME, NH, MA, RI, and CT.
Official title: To prohibit oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of New England.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Seth Magaziner · Last progress April 10, 2025
Prohibits the federal government from issuing any new oil or natural gas leases on the outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The law adds a statutory bar preventing the Secretary from approving exploration, development, or production leases in those offshore areas, regardless of other authorities in existing law.