An association of Louisiana energy producers has echoed criticisms of President Biden’s ban on new oil and gas leases spelled out in a 13-state lawsuit spearheaded by Louisiana’s attorney general.
Jeff Landry filed the federal lawsuit March 24 in the Western District of Louisiana to overturn Biden’s Executive Order 14008, which puts in place a moratorium on new oil and gas fields on federal lands, including offshore leases along the Gulf Coast. Biden’s order violates federal laws, including the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and Mineral Leasing Act, which call on federal agencies to facilitate safe energy development, the claim states.
Landry has also implied that the effect of Biden’s plans would be to leave the nation dangerously dependent on foreign oil sources.
LOGA President Mike Moncla
The views of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association’s president mirror some of the attorney general’s arguments, though the association did not comment specifically on the merits of the lawsuit filed by Landry.
“A continuance of this ban would cripple an already decimated service sector across South Louisiana (and) make energy less reliable and more expensive for families everywhere,” Mike Moncla said in an email to the Louisiana Record. “We support smart policies that will enable Louisiana to recover from the pandemic and also protect our coast at the same time.”
Though environmental concerns form the basis of the executive order, the federal actions will only serve to undermine the funding of Louisiana’s coastal restoration efforts, according to Moncla. Offshore oil and gas operations last year will supply the state with $110 million for coastal protection through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), he said, adding that the moratorium would gut that funding mechanism.
“None of this is good for our state,” Moncla said. “At the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, we believe we can walk and chew gum at the same time – meaning we believe we can work toward environmental progress while strengthening industry, not bring it to its demise.”
Landry’s lawsuit echoes some of LOGA’s opposition to the moratorium, portraying the ban as an attack on energy independence, well-paying jobs and low-cost energy.
“It purports to protect the environment, but it constitutes what is likely the single-largest divestment of revenue for environmental protection projects in American history,” the lawsuit states.