CORE Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 2556
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-25: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18.
- Last Updated
- 2025-06-26T08:06:15Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Comprehensive Offshore Resource Enhancement Act of 2025 (CORE Act of 2025) aims to strengthen U.S. national security and energy independence by requiring detailed assessments and mapping of offshore energy resources, particularly hydrocarbons like oil and gas. It establishes a structured process for regularly reviewing and standardizing methods used to explore these resources, while promoting international cooperation on shared or cross-border reserves.
Key Provisions
- Joint Report on Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs (Sec. 2(b)):
- Within 18 months of enactment, the Secretaries of Energy, Interior, and State must submit a report to relevant congressional committees.
- The report identifies existing and potential cross-border hydrocarbon reserves (e.g., shared with Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, or Russia), analyzes related treaties and dispute resolution mechanisms, evaluates economic, environmental, and geopolitical effects, and provides recommendations for U.S. cooperation with neighbors.
- It includes data from U.S.-Canada collaborations (e.g., seismic surveys), reviews unresolved maritime boundaries, and examines activities by neighboring countries near U.S. waters.
- Preparation prioritizes advanced technologies like AI, quantum computing, and geographic information systems, in partnership with agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation.
- Standardization and Expansion of Offshore Resource Inventories (Sec. 2(c)):
- Amends Section 357 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of the Interior to update inventories of U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS) resources at least every 5 years, in consultation with other federal agencies.
- New inclusions in inventories:
- Estimates of undiscovered resources in regions like the Atlantic, Pacific (off California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii), Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. territories, including economic analyses of global market impacts, energy security, and job creation across the energy supply chain.
- Assessment of how restrictions on leasing (e.g., in national marine sanctuaries or withdrawn areas under the OCS Lands Act) affect oil/gas exploration, national security, jobs, and revenue to states/coastal areas via funds like the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act and Land and Water Conservation Fund.
- Identification of non-energy minerals (e.g., sand, gravel, critical minerals) for commercial or security uses.
- Requires periodic assessments (every 10 years, starting within 1 year) of the accuracy and cost of resource estimation models, in consultation with groups like the National Petroleum Council; updates to models must be reported, explaining improvements or reasons for no changes.
- Comparative Analysis of Global Offshore Practices (Sec. 3):
- Within 1 year of enactment, and every 10 years thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior (consulting Secretaries of State and Energy) must publish and submit to Congress a report comparing U.S. offshore oil and gas practices with those of major producing countries.
- Covers leasing data (e.g., acres offered, auction frequency), production volumes and trends, market demands/exports, and resource estimates (discovered and undiscovered), developed with input from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amendments to Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Sec. 2(c)):
- Expands the scope of required OCS resource inventories beyond just the Gulf of Mexico and Canada to all U.S. offshore regions and territories.
- Increases frequency of updates (from one-time to every 5 years) and adds mandatory consultations with other agencies.
- Introduces new requirements for economic/job impact analyses, effects of leasing restrictions, and non-energy minerals assessments.
- Adds a subsection (c) for ongoing model evaluations and updates every 10 years, with detailed reporting on changes.
- Adjusts initial submission timeline for the existing report to 1 year post-enactment.
- These changes standardize and modernize data collection, emphasizing advanced tech and peer-reviewed estimates to reduce uncertainty in resource projections.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Departments of Interior, Energy, and State through joint reporting, interagency partnerships (e.g., with NOAA, USGS, NSF), and technology integration; could streamline decision-making on energy policy and leasing.
- Citizens: May boost domestic energy production, potentially lowering energy costs and creating jobs in exploration, production, and related sectors; however, it highlights environmental risks like greenhouse gas emissions from expanded offshore activities.
- International Relations: Promotes diplomacy on maritime boundaries and shared resources (e.g., with Canada, Mexico), potentially resolving disputes via treaties or international courts, while monitoring neighbors' activities to protect U.S. security interests.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: Departments of Interior (lead on inventories and analyses), Energy, State; USGS, NOAA, NSF, and Office of Naval Research (data and tech support).
- Energy Industry: Oil/gas companies, benefiting from better resource data and standardized methods that could open leasing opportunities.
- Coastal States and Local Governments: Affected by potential revenue from energy royalties (e.g., via conservation funds) and job growth, but also environmental concerns in marine areas.
- Neighboring Countries: Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, Russia—impacted by U.S. assessments of transboundary activities and calls for joint exploration.
- Environmental and Scientific Groups: Involved indirectly through emissions evaluations and tech partnerships; could influence debates on sanctuary protections.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Builds on existing laws like the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (defining exploration terms) and maritime treaties, potentially paving the way for new bilateral agreements or International Court of Justice involvement in boundary disputes; emphasizes equitable resource sharing without altering current withdrawal authorities.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's commerce and foreign affairs powers by directing executive assessments to inform energy policy and international coordination.
- Political: Could fuel debates on energy independence vs. environmental protection, encouraging data-driven leasing expansions while addressing geopolitical tensions (e.g., with Russia or Cuba); the 5- and 10-year review cycles ensure ongoing oversight, reducing politicization through standardized, peer-reviewed processes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-25: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18.
- 2025-06-25: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2025-06-25: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged
- 2025-05-20: Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 2025-05-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
- 2025-04-01: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-04-01: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-04-01: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-04-01: Introduced in House
- 2025-04-01: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Comprehensive Offshore Resource Enhancement Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-01 — PDF (13 pages)