Tsongas promotes clean energy projects over expanded offshore drilling

WASHINGTON, DC – October 24, 2017 – (RealEstateRama) — At a hearing of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (MA-3) spoke in strong opposition to a Republican bill, the Accessing Strategic Resources Offshore Act orASTRO Act, which wouldoverturn reforms put in place after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and dramatically expand offshore drilling.

Rather than grow fossil fuel development, Congresswoman Tsongas urged the Trump Administration to invest in renewable energy sources off the nation’s coasts. She cited Massachusetts’ investment in offshore wind projects, which stands as an example of how clean energy on public lands or waters can have significant economic and energy production benefits.

Witnesses at the hearing were: The Honorable Mary Landrieu, Senior Policy Advisor, Van Ness Feldman, LLP; The Honorable Stephen Goldfinch, South Carolina Senator, District 34 – Georgetown; Mr. Erik Milito, Director, Upstream and Industry Operations, American Petroleum Institute; Mr. Michael Bromwich, Founder and Managing Principal, The Bromwich Group

Congresswoman Tsongas is a senior member of the Natural Resources Committee and former Ranking Member of the Federal Lands subcommittee.

You can read and watch the Congresswoman’s opening remarks below.

Below is the text of the Congresswoman’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

I am strongly opposed to the legislation before us today. Instead of putting forward an offshore energy policy for the twenty-first century, one that balances responsible energy development, including renewables, with conservation, the ASTRO Act takes us back to the days before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, our nation’s single worst environmental disaster.

Instead of expanding fossil fuel development, as this bill does, we should be investing in renewable energy resources off our coasts. Massachusetts was proud to be among the first states to participate in federal offshore wind lease sales and our state, with support from our Republican governor, is making significant investments to support offshore wind development.

As Massachusetts demonstrates, clean energy on public lands and waters offers tremendous opportunities for job creation and home-grown energy production, and the Trump Administration needs a thoughtful, aggressive plan to promote these jobs if it really wants to claim that it is supporting this energy development. As I stated at our hearing earlier this year, we need actions, not words.

The ASTRO Act takes us in the completely wrong direction by irresponsibly expanding drilling off our coasts and making it less safe.

####