Non-discretionary approach protects energy planning from political winds that have harmed working families in past
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida – The National Hispanic Energy Council (NHEC), founded to bring a Hispanic voice to the energy policy debate, today praised the Interior Department’s announcement of a comprehensive offshore leasing schedule of at least 30 non-discretionary sales through 2040 in the Gulf of America and Alaska’s Cook Inlet.
The congressionally mandated framework will help eliminate the uncertainty that impeded energy exploration planning and investment under certain presidential administrations in the past.
“This predictable, non-discretionary leasing schedule is a victory for all Americans including Hispanics because it helps deliver the rule of law and regulatory certainty that has built America’s strength, competitiveness and attractiveness as a place for families and businesses to thrive,” said NHEC Chairman Julio Fuentes, who also serves as president and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “When energy policy is subject to political winds rather than economic necessity, it’s working families and small business owners in our community who suffer the consequences through higher bills and reduced opportunities. This action will help change that.”
The first Gulf of America lease sale under the new schedule is set for Dec. 10, 2025, followed by March and August sales every year through March 2040. Alaska’s Cook Inlet will see its first sale in March 2026, with five additional sales planned through March 2032.
“The greater economic opportunities this lease schedule provides will benefit all Americans, including the Hispanics who represent nearly a fifth of America’s national energy workforce and over a third of it in Texas, a state where offshore energy is a major contributor to the economy,” said NHEC Vice Chairman Matthew Gonzales, former Mayor of the Village of Cimarron, New Mexico, and Consumer Energy Alliance’s Southwest Executive Director. “The benefits go far beyond creating family-sustaining livelihoods for our community; the proceeds of lease sales fund a wide swathe of federal conservation activities and projects that create jobs, preserve public lands, and helps conserve our environment. Taken together, we all benefit economically and in terms of quality of life.”
Unlike the formal Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, this Congressionally mandated schedule of leases is not subject to the presidential discretion that in the past has interrupted normal leasing and harmed the ability for companies to plan their investments in domestic energy production. NHEC supports all forms of energy – from oil and gas to renewable energy sources – that deliver affordable, reliable energy to Hispanics, who face a 20% higher energy burden than the median U.S. household.
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About The National Hispanic Energy Council
The National Hispanic Energy Council (NHEC) is founded on the principle of fair and equitable energy for all Americans, driven by the urgent need to reduce the 20% higher energy costs Hispanic families pay compared to the median American family. Drawing on expertise from across the economy and Hispanic community, we exist to fill a void in advocacy: a voice for energy policies that helps Hispanic families, businesses and entrepreneurs. The Council is building a bipartisan coalition of leaders of Hispanic groups across the country, and exists to educate elected officials, policy makers and the Hispanic public on what good energy policy choices look like.
Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@hbwresources.com
