S-1279 : Still Just a Bill

Southern Atlantic Energy Security Act

Directs the Department of the Interior, before conducting a lease sale that would offer leases within 30 nautical miles of the coastline, to consult with the governor of each potentially affected state to establish lease stipulations for the management of the surface occupancy of the areas between the coastline and 30 nautical miles to mitigate potential concerns regarding impacts to coastal viewsheds.

Prescribes formal considerations for production facilities. Prohibits Interior from approving a development and production plan if permanent surface facilities are proposed within 30 nautical miles of the coastline, unless the facilities are designed to minimize the impacts upon coastal viewsheds.

Permits onshore facilities associated with the drilling, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the South Atlantic planning area within 12 nautical miles seaward of the coastline of a state.

Requires Interior to include the South Atlantic planning area in the outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leasing program for FY2017-FY2022, and conduct in that area one lease sale during FY2021 and two during FY2022.

Directs Interior and the Department of Defense to implement lease sales jointly to: (1) preserve the ability of the Armed Forces to maintain an optimum state of readiness through their continued use of the OCS; and (2) allow effective exploration, development, and production of U.S. oil, gas, and renewable energy resources.

Prohibits: (1) Interior from making any tract available for lease if the President, in consultation with certain congressional committees, determines that leasing that tract would conflict with military operations relating to national security; and (2) exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas on the OCS that would conflict with military operations set forth in specified documents.

Requires deposit of 50% of qualified revenues into the general fund of the Treasury and 50% into a special Treasury account for allocation to certain states for:

• enhancing land and water conservation efforts;
• improving state public transportation projects;
• establishing alternative, renewable, and clean energy production and generation;
• enhancing beach nourishment and coastal dredging; and
• enhancing geological and geophysical education for the energy future of the U.S.

Requires Interior, acting through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), to partner with certain institutions of higher education to facilitate the study of geological and geophysical sciences on the Atlantic OCS and elsewhere on the U.S. Continental Shelf.

Authorizes the governor of each state to nominate institutions of higher education located in the state for participation in such a partnership: (1) including one historically Black college or university, and (2) giving preference to those that demonstrate a vigorous rate of admissions of veterans of the Armed Forces.

Requires the BOEM Director to establish an Atlantic regional office in an area included in the OCS leasing program for FY2017-FY2022 that has the highest potential for resource development.