On Oct. 4, 2023, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will publish the “Inflation Reduction Act Conformity Amendments to Regulations on the Outer Continental Shelf” final rule in the Federal Register.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 contains several provisions relevant to BOEM’s offshore energy program, including amending the definition of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the OCS Lands Act to include submerged lands within the exclusive economic zone adjacent to U.S. territories.
The IRA also amended the OCS Lands Act by adding a definition of “State” to include each of the several 50 States of the Union, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
This final rule implements the IRA by amending and adding the definitions of OCS and State in BOEM’s renewable energy regulations to be consistent with the IRA language.
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The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for America’s offshore energy and mineral resources. The bureau promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.