The focus on the bill comes as the 118th Congress (2023 – 2024) moves into its home stretch. The Reinvesting In Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (or RISEE) Act, originally introduced in 2021 into the previous Congressional session (117th, 2021-2022), by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), and subsequently re-introduced in 2023 (the beginning of the 118th Congress).
Essentially, RISEE would enable revenues collected at the Federal level related to offshore leasing activities to be shared with governments at the State level. Proponents of the bill note that seaports, which work with governments at the State or regional level, would be better able to enhance port infrastructure and streamline supply chains.
In August the proposed legislation has now gained the support of American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), a key trade association, with a large footprint in Washington, D.C. The group’s top executive, Cary Davis, said: “The RISEE Act presents a chance for the port industry to invest in America’s manufacturing economy by building out a new generation of energy infrastructure.”
He added that: “Senators Cassidy and Whitehouse deserve tremendous credit for their bipartisan leadership on this smart proposal. AAPA urges Congress to swiftly pass this legislation before the year's end.”
The ties to Rhode Island (Sen. Whitehouse) and Louisiana (Sen. Cassidy) are not accidental. The US offshore wind presence to date has been led by developments in New England waters, with Rhode Island and Massachusetts figuring prominently, while service vessel operators in the Gulf of Mexico, many based in Louisiana, are now seeking to transition parts of their fleets that historically serving the oil and gas sector to wind energy.
In its announcement endorsing RISEE, AAPA explains that: “The proposal would share a portion of Federal Government revenue raised from the lease of offshore waters with state governments providing crucial resources for states to invest in port infrastructure to accelerate projects while building out domestic supply chains.
“The legislation would also remove the cap on Federal Government revenue shared with states through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA). This existing funding source provides Gulf states with funds from the oil & gas industry, allowing them to invest in coastal resilience and ecosystem protection projects. With the passage of the RISEE Act, Gulf states would be able to expand their investment in these projects.”
Why the renewed attention now, to a bill that’s been floating around Capitol Hill since 2021? An end-July effort to attach the RISEE language to a bill on streamlined permitting processes, for electricity and fossil fuel projects, in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was unsuccessful. At that time, Senator Cassidy had suggested that RISEE would be tied to a different bill- set for consideration by the same Senate Committee, in early September.
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