Legislation Will Provide Funding For Coastal Protection and Resiliency
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined 21 of her Senate colleagues to introduce the bipartisan Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies & Ecosystems (RISEE) Act. The bill would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to direct a portion of federal revenues from offshore wind development, including projects in the New York Bight, to fund coastal protection and resiliency. Communities in New York and other coastal states will automatically receive a percentage of offshore wind revenue to respond to coastal erosion and sea level rise, restore coastal habitats, and make improvements to coastal infrastructure.
“Over the past decade, New York’s coastal communities have been devastated by hurricanes, blizzards, and flooding,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As extreme weather events grow increasingly common due to climate change, these communities are still in danger. I am cosponsoring the RISEE Act to take proactive steps to protect our shorelines from the effects of climate change, invest in resilient infrastructure, and ensure New York communities directly benefit from offshore wind development.”
The RISEE Act would send 37.5% of revenues for offshore wind projects in federal waters to adjacent states. Additionally, 12.5% of offshore wind revenues would serve as a dedicated funding source for the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, which provides federal funding to coastal and Great Lakes communities to respond to coastal erosion and sea level rise.
Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Kennedy (R-LA), Angus King (I-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) are original co-sponsors of the legislation. Representatives Randy Weber (R-TX-14), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-07), Nancy Mace (R-SC-01), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Don Davis (D-NC-01), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16) have introduced companion legislation in the House.
The full text of the bill is available here.