HYDE-SMITH NOTES $51.9 MILLION IN GOMESA FUNDING FOR MISSISSIPPI
State & Three Coast Counties Get Offshore Energy Production Allocations for Coastal Rehabilitation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today welcomed the distribution of more than $51.9 million in federal offshore energy royalty revenue for coastal conservation, restoration, and hazard mitigation activities in Mississippi, a significant increase over last year’s distribution.
The U.S. Department of the Interior is distributing FY2019 royalty revenues, including $41.5 million to the State of Mississippi, $4.3 million for Jackson County, $4.0 million for Harrison County, and $1.9 million to Hancock County. The funding is from Phase II disbursement of revenues generated through the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA).
“Responsible offshore energy production serves many good functions, among them earning Mississippi a share of federal royalty revenues for conservation and coastal restoration. I hope our state can enjoy greater benefits from the GOMESA program in the near future,” said Hyde-Smith, who also serves on the Senate appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Interior Department.
The FY2019 GOMESA funding for Mississippi represents a significant increase from the $31.7 million in FY2018 funding distributed to the state and coastal counties last year.
GOMESA stipulates sharing revenue generated from qualified oil and gas leasing revenues with four Gulf Coast states: Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas. In all, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Friday announced the distribution of almost $353.0 million in Phase II award to the four Gulf Coast states, a 64.2 percent increase over FY2018.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, Interior continues to deliver on the promise of advancing American energy security,” Bernhardt said. “These disbursements shared directly with the Gulf producing states and local communities are a result of the responsible development of our energy resources.”
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