Sea Change: How Policies, Laws, and Regulations Shape America's Offshore Energy Future

Send us Fan MailThe landscape governing offshore energy development is undergoing seismic shifts, leaving industry insiders searching for clear paths forward. In this thought-provoking episode, Jim and Ian are joined by two prominent energy attorneys – Laura Smith-Morton from Perkins Coie and Tyler Johnson from Bracewell – who bring decades of experience navigating the complex relationships between governments and private developers.The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) takes center stage as we examine how environmental reviews have evolved over five decades. Recent attempts to streamline these reviews have been followed by court challenges and regulatory reversals, creating a whiplash effect for project developers trying to navigate permitting pathways. Our conversation explores the contrasts between offshore oil/gas and wind development frameworks and how these differences create dramatically different risk profiles for investors considering where to deploy capital in an increasingly global energy marketplace.Perhaps most concerning is the ripple effect of policy uncertainty throughout the energy supply chain. From shipbuilders constructing specialized vessels to training programs preparing workers for offshore careers, the impacts extend far beyond the private sector developers themselves. Yet amid these challenges, we discover surprising areas of bipartisan agreement that can be converted to sustained action.Subscribe now and join the conversation about how legal frameworks and policies can shape the future of energy development on America's outer continental shelf.