Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2024

Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2024

link to page 1

Updated May 17, 2024
Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2024
Three entities in the Department of the Interior (DOI) share
BOEM Appropriations
responsibility for managing the nation’s ocean energy
The Biden Administration requested $268.2 million in total
resources on almost 2.5 billion acres of the U.S. outer
budget authority for BOEM for FY2024 (Table 1). This
continental shelf (OCS). The Bureau of Ocean Energy
would have been a 22% increase over total FY2023 budget
Management (BOEM) administers offshore energy leasing
authority of $220.0 million. P.L. 118-42 provided $211.2
and mineral development; the Bureau of Safety and
million in total FY2024 budget authority for BOEM, 4%
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) oversees offshore
less than the FY2023 total budget authority and 21% less
operational safety and environmental protection; and the
than requested by the Administration. House-passed H.R.
Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) manages
4821 would have provided $182.0 million, and Senate
public revenues from federally regulated offshore and
committee-reported S. 2605 contained $220.0 million.
onshore energy and natural resource projects. BOEM,
BSEE, and ONRR receive appropriations in the annual
BOEM’s funding is contained in a single budget account,
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations
titled Ocean Energy Management. Within this account, the
bill. Issues include determining the aggregate and program-
Conventional Energy activity ($61.5 million FY2023;
level appropriations for each entity and considering certain
$72.3 million FY2024 requested; $59.0 million enacted)
Biden Administration proposals.
funds administration of oil and gas leasing, including
development of five-year leasing programs. The joint
P.L. 118-42, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,
explanatory statement for P.L. 118-42 directs BOEM to use
was enacted on March 9, 2024, with FY2024 appropriations
at least $2.0 million from the Conventional Energy and
for BOEM, BSEE, and ONRR. Because appropriations
Environmental Assessment budget activities for work on
were not enacted by the start of the fiscal year, several
geologic carbon sequestration and directs BOEM to
continuing resolutions had earlier provided appropriations
prioritize finalizing regulations on this topic.
at FY2023 levels. Earlier House and Senate bills with
FY2024 appropriations for the three entities included H.R.
The Renewable Energy activity ($42.8 million FY2023;
4821 (H.Rept. 118-155), passed by the House on November
$64.5 million FY2024 requested; $41.1 million enacted)
3, 2023, and S. 2605 (S.Rept. 118-83), reported by the
supports BOEM’s management of renewable ocean energy
Senate Committee on Appropriations on July 27, 2023.
resources. BOEM had requested increased funding to grow
permitting workforce capacity, initiate renewable energy
Total budget authority for BOEM and BSEE includes both
leasing activities offshore of U.S. territories, and automate
discretionary appropriations and offsetting collections
information management.
derived from a portion of OCS rental receipts, cost-
recovery fees, and (for BSEE) inspection fees. The
The Environmental Assessment activity ($82.4 million
discretionary appropriations for each fiscal year are reduced
FY2023; $92.8 million FY2024 requested; $79.1 million
by the amount of eligible fees and receipts collected, so that
enacted) supports BOEM’s responsibilities for assessing the
the final amount appropriated to each agency is the net of
environmental impacts of ocean energy activities to inform
those collections. Discussions of account- and activity-level
planning and policy decisions. BOEM had requested
funding in the sections below refer to total budget authority,
increases for its Environmental Studies Program, for
regardless of offsets. ONRR’s funding does not include
development of an offshore carbon sequestration program,
offsetting collections.
for a team to address renewable energy environmental
reviews, and for tribal co-stewardship.
Table 1. BOEM, BSEE, and ONRR Appropriations, FY2023 and FY2024 ($ millions)
FY2023 Enacted FY2024 House-Passed Senate-Reported FY2024 Enacted
% Change from
Agency
(P.L. 117-328) Request
H.R. 4821
S. 2605
(P.L. 118-42)
FY2023
BOEM Total Budget Authority
220.0
268.2
182.0
220.0
211.2
-4%
BOEM Net Appropriation
183.0
212.2
126.0
164.0
155.2
-15%
BSEE Total Budget Authority
229.0
270.6
225.1
229.0
220.4
-4%
BSEE Net Appropriation
172.0
198.6
159.1
163.0
154.4
-10%
ONRR Total Appropriation
174.9
185.4
157.4
174.9
167.9
-4%
Sources and Notes: H.Rept. 118-155, S.Rept. 118-83, and joint explanatory statement for P.L. 118-42. Net appropriations reflect estimated
reductions to discretionary appropriations from offsetting col ections.
https://crsreports.congress.gov

link to page 1 link to page 1 link to page 1 Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2024
BOEM’s Marine Minerals activity ($14.4 million FY2023;
funding for zero-emission vehicles and information
$16.4 million FY2024 requested; $13.8 million enacted)
technology enhancements.
supports management of offshore non-energy minerals,
particularly sand and gravel, as well as BOEM’s assessment
BSEE’s Offshore Decommissioning activity ($3.0 million
of critical minerals on the OCS. BOEM had requested
FY2023; $30.0 million FY2024 requested; $2.9 million
increased funds for its National Offshore Sand Inventory.
enacted) was established as a separate line item in FY2022,
supporting closure and removal of offshore energy
The Executive Direction activity ($18.9 million FY2023;
infrastructure when leases reach the end of their lifetimes.
$22.3 million FY2024 requested; $18.1 million enacted)
BSEE had requested $30.0 million for FY2024 to “properly
covers leadership, budgeting, technology, and related
plug and abandon” orphaned wells and pipelines for which
activities. The requested increase was primarily to enhance
no liable party is available to decommission. In the past,
program support for the Administration’s clean energy
appropriators have expressed opposition to
priorities.
decommissioning costs being borne by taxpayers.
Net of estimated offsetting collections, BOEM’s FY2024
The second BSEE account, Oil Spill Research ($15.1
request was $212.2 million, 16% more than the net
million FY2023, FY2024 requested, and enacted), funds
appropriation of $183.0 million for BOEM in FY2023. P.L.
research and planning for oil spill responses and supports
118-42 provided $155.2 million as the net appropriation,
Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Research and
15% less than FY2023. The greater percentage decrease
Renewable Energy Test Facility.
from FY2023 in the net appropriation (-15%) versus the
total budget authority discussed above (-4%) reflects that
BSEE’s requested net appropriation after offsetting
BOEM anticipates more in offsetting rental receipts for
collections was $198.6 million, 15% more than the FY2023
FY2024 than were collected in FY2023.
net appropriation of $172.0 million. P.L. 118-42 provided
$154.4 million as the net FY2024 appropriation, 10% less
BSEE Appropriations
than FY2023.
The Administration requested $270.6 million in total budget
authority for BSEE for FY2024, an 18% increase compared
ONRR Appropriations
with the FY2023 total budget authority of $229.0 million
ONRR, which manages revenues from both offshore and
(Table 1). P.L. 118-42 provided BSEE with total FY2024
onshore energy, is funded within the broader appropriation
budget authority of $220.4 million, 4% less than FY2023
for DOI’s Department-Wide Programs. For FY2024, the
and 19% less than requested. House-passed H.R. 4821
Administration requested $185.4 million for ONRR, a 6%
would have provided $225.1 million, and Senate
increase over the FY2023 funding of $174.9 million (Table
committee-reported S. 2605 contained $229.0 million.
1). The requested increase was mainly to strengthen
auditing and compliance and expand solicitor staff. P.L.
BSEE’s funding is appropriated under two budget accounts,
118-42 provided $167.9 million, 9% less than requested and
Offshore Safety and Environmental Enforcement (OSEE)
4% less than FY2023.
and Oil Spill Research. Under the OSEE account, the
Operations, Safety, and Regulation activity ($166.9
General Provisions
million FY2023; $178.5 million FY2024 requested; $160.3
P.L. 118-42 included a general provision (Section 123)
million enacted) supports BSEE’s development of
establishing a new Treasury account for bond forfeitures,
regulations and safety standards, review and approval of
bankruptcy distributions, and settlements related to offshore
OCS operating permits, inspections of facilities and
decommissioning, which both BOEM and BSEE may use
equipment, and oversight of operator safety programs,
as mandatory spending (i.e., “without further appropriation
among other activities. BSEE had sought a funding increase
or fiscal year limitation”) to perform decommissioning
to build its carbon sequestration program, as authorized in
work. BOEM had requested the account’s establishment to
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).
facilitate the transfer of decommissioning funds between
BOEM and BSEE.
The Environmental Enforcement activity ($5.9 million
FY2023; $7.4 million FY2024 requested; $5.6 million
BSEE’s budget proposed a general provision that would
enacted) supports BSEE’s compliance with environmental
raise inspection fees to adjust for inflation and would
statutes and its oversight and enforcement of environmental
change facility inspection fees from a per-year to a per-visit
compliance by operators on the OCS. A portion of BSEE’s
basis. P.L. 118-42 did not include the requested changes.
requested increase was for tribal engagement.
Additional Reading
The activities for Administrative Operations ($19.3 million
For a broader overview of FY2024 Interior appropriations,
FY2023; $19.2 million FY2024 requested; $18.5 million
see CRS Report R47664, Interior, Environment, and
enacted) and Executive Direction ($18.8 million FY2023;
Related Agencies: Overview of FY2024 Appropriations.
$20.4 million FY2024 requested; $18.0 million enacted)
fund a range of administrative services as well as BSEE’s
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
executive offices. BSEE’s request had included increased
IF12542

https://crsreports.congress.gov

Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2024

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12542 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED