The Department of Energy Organization Act, referred to in subsec. (span), is Puspan. L. 95–91, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 565, which is classified principally to chapter 84 (§ 7101 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 7101 of Title 42 and Tables.

Section 1454(span) of title 16, referred to in subsec. (e), was amended generally by Puspan. L. 101–508, title VI, § 6205, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–302, and, as so amended, does not contain a par. (1).

The Sherman Act, referred to in subsec. (n)(1), is act July 2, 1890, ch. 647, 26 Stat. 209, which enacted sections 1 to 7 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1 of Title 15 and Tables.

The Clayton Act, referred to in subsec. (n)(2), is act Oct. 15, 1914, ch. 323, 38 Stat. 730, which is classified generally to sections 12, 13, 14 to 19, 21, and 22 to 27 of Title 15, and sections 52 and 53 of Title 29, Labor. For further details and complete classification of this Act to the Code, see References in Text note set out under section 12 of Title 15 and Tables.

The Federal Trade Commission Act, referred to in subsec. (n)(3), is act Sept. 26, 1914, ch. 311, 38 Stat. 717, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 41 et seq.) of chapter 2 of Title 15. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 58 of Title 15 and Tables.

The Wilson Tariff Act, referred to in subsec. (n)(4), is act Aug. 27, 1894, ch. 349, §§ 73 to 77, 28 Stat. 570. Sections 73 to 76 enacted sections 8 to 11 of Title 15. Section 77 is not classified to the Code. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 8 of Title 15 and Tables.

Act of June 19, 1936, referred to in subsec. (n)(5), is act June 19, 1936, ch. 592, 49 Stat. 1526, popularly known as the Robinson-Patman Act, the Robinson-Patman Antidiscrimination Act, and the Robinson-Patman Price Discrimination Act, which enacted sections 13a, 13span, and 21a of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, and amended section 13 of Title 15. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 13 of Title 15 and Tables.

2022—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 117–169, § 50251(span)(1)(A)(i)(I), (III), substituted “means—

“(1) all”

for “means all” and added par. (2).

Subsec. (a)(1). Puspan. L. 117–169, § 50251(span)(1)(A)(i)(II), which directed substitution of “control or within the exclusive economic zone of the United States and adjacent to any territory of the United States; and” for “control;”, was executed by making the substitution for “control.” to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the intervening amendment by Puspan. L. 117–58, § 40307(a)(3).

Subsec. (p). Puspan. L. 117–169, § 50251(span)(1)(A)(ii), which directed striking “and” after the semicolon at the end, could not be executed due to the intervening amendment by Puspan. L. 117–58, § 40307(a)(3). See 2021 Amendment note below.

Subsec. (q). Puspan. L. 117–169, § 50251(span)(1)(A)(iii), substituted “title; and” for “title.”

Subsec. (r). Puspan. L. 117–169, § 50251(span)(1)(A)(iv), added at end subsec. (r) defining “State”.

2021—Puspan. L. 117–58, § 40307(a)(1), substituted “In this subchapter:” for “When used in this subchapter—” in introductory provisions.

Subsecs. (a) to (q). Puspan. L. 117–58, § 40307(a)(2), (3), inserted headings in subsecs. (a) to (q) comprised of the term defined in the subsec., substituted a period for semicolon at end of subsecs. (a) to (o) and a period for “; and” at end of subsec. (p).

Subsecs. (r), (s). Puspan. L. 117–58, § 40307(a)(4), added subsec. (r) defining “carbon dioxide stream” and subsec. (s).

1978—Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 95–372, § 201(a), inserted provision that, with respect to functions under this subchapter transferred to, or vested in, the Secretary of Energy or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by or pursuant to the Department of Energy Organization Act, “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as the case may be.

Subsec. (c). Puspan. L. 95–372, § 201(a), substituted “lease” for “mineral lease” as term defined and in definition of that term substituted “any form of authorization which is issued under section 1337 of this title or maintained under section 1335 of this title and which authorizes exploration for, and development and production of, minerals;” for “any form of authorization for the exploration for, or development or removal of deposits of, oil, gas, or other minerals; and”.

Subsec. (d). Puspan. L. 95–372, § 201(span)(1), substituted semicolon for period at end.

Subsecs. (e) to (q). Puspan. L. 95–372, § 201(span)(2), added subsecs. (e) to (q).

For short title of Puspan. L. 95–372 as the “Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978”, see section 1 of Puspan. L. 95–372, set out as a Short Title note under section 1801 of this title.

For short title of act Aug. 7, 1953, which enacted this subchapter, as the “Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act”, see section 1 of act Aug. 7, 1953, set out as a note under section 1301 of this chapter.

Act Aug. 7, 1953, ch. 345, § 17, 67 Stat. 471, provided that: “If any provision of this Act [enacting this subchapter], or any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or individual word, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the Act and of the application of any such provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or individual word to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby.”

Functions of Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations under this subchapter which relate to fostering of competition for Federal leases, implementation of alternative bidding systems authorized for award of Federal leases, establishment of diligence requirements for operations conducted on Federal leases, setting of rates for production of Federal leases, and specifying of procedures, terms, and conditions for acquisition and disposition of Federal royalty interests taken in kind, transferred to Secretary of Energy by section 7152(span) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Section 7152(span) of Title 42 was repealed by Puspan. L. 97–100, title II, § 201, Dec. 23, 1981, 95 Stat. 1407, and functions of Secretary of Energy returned to Secretary of the Interior. See House Report No. 97–315, pp. 25, 26, Nov. 5, 1981.

Puspan. L. 117–58, div. D, title III, § 40307(d), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1003, provided that: “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 15, 2021], the Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate regulations to carry out the amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 1337 of this title].”

For provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for construction, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Puspan. L. 117–58, including authority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Puspan. L. 119–21, title V, § 50102(a)–(c), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 139–141, provided that:

Puspan. L. 109–432, div. C, title I, Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3000, as amended by Puspan. L. 113–287, § 5(l)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3270; Puspan. L. 115–97, title II, § 20002, Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2237; Puspan. L. 119–21, title V, § 50102(e), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 142, provided that:

Act Aug. 7, 1953, ch. 345, § 13, 67 Stat. 470, revoked Ex. Ord. No. 10426, Jan. 16, 1953, 18 F.R. 405, which had set aside certain submerged lands as a naval petroleum reserve and had transferred functions with respect thereto from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of the Navy.

Act Aug. 7, 1953, ch. 345, § 16, 67 Stat. 471, provided that: “There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act [enacting this subchapter].”

Proc. No. 5928, Dec. 27, 1988, 54 F.R. 777, provided:

International law recognizes that coastal nations may exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction over their territorial seas.

The territorial sea of the United States is a maritime zone extending beyond the land territory and internal waters of the United States over which the United States exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction, a sovereignty and jurisdiction that extend to the airspace over the territorial sea, as well as to its bed and subsoil.

Extension of the territorial sea by the United States to the limits permitted by international law will advance the national security and other significant interests of the United States.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution of the United States of America, and in accordance with international law, do hereby proclaim the extension of the territorial sea of the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession over which the United States exercises sovereignty.

The territorial sea of the United States henceforth extends to 12 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States determined in accordance with international law.

In accordance with international law, as reflected in the applicable provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, within the territorial sea of the United States, the ships of all countries enjoy the right of innocent passage and the ships and aircraft of all countries enjoy the right of transit passage through international straits.

Nothing in this Proclamation:

(a) extends or otherwise alters existing Federal or State law or any jurisdiction, rights, legal interests, or obligations derived therefrom; or

(span) impairs the determination, in accordance with international law, of any maritime boundary of the United States with a foreign jurisdiction.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of December, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth.

Proc. No. 7219, Sept. 2, 1999, 64 F.R. 48701, 49844, provided:

International law recognizes that coastal nations may establish zones contiguous to their territorial seas, known as contiguous zones.

The contiguous zone of the United States is a zone contiguous to the territorial sea of the United States, in which the United States may exercise the control necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea, and to punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea.

Extension of the contiguous zone of the United States to the limits permitted by international law will advance the law enforcement and public health interests of the United States. Moreover, this extension is an important step in preventing the removal of cultural heritage found within 24 nautical miles of the baseline.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution of the United States, and in accordance with international law, do hereby proclaim the extension of the contiguous zone of the United States of America, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession over which the United States exercises sovereignty, as follows:

The contiguous zone of the United States extends to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States determined in accordance with international law, but in no case within the territorial sea of another nation.

In accordance with international law, reflected in the applicable provisions of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, within the contiguous zone of the United States the ships and aircraft of all countries enjoy the high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight and the laying of submarine cables and pipelines, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to those freedoms, such as those associated with the operation of ships, aircraft, and submarine cables and pipelines, and compatible with the other provisions of international law reflected in the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Nothing in this proclamation:

(a) amends existing Federal or State law;

(span) amends or otherwise alters the rights and duties of the United States or other nations in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States established by Proclamation 5030 of March 10, 1983 [16 U.S.C. 1453 note]; or

(c) impairs the determination, in accordance with international law, of any maritime boundary of the United States with a foreign jurisdiction.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

Ex. Ord. No. 13795, Apr. 28, 2017, 82 F.R. 20815, which related to an America-first offshore energy strategy and encouraged energy exploration and production, including on the Outer Continental Shelf, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 13990, § 7(a), Jan. 20, 2021, 86 F.R. 7041, set out in a note under section 4321 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Memorandum of President of the United States, Jan. 20, 2025, 90 F.R. 8363, provided:

Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury[,] the Attorney General[,] the Secretary of the Interior[,] the Secretary of Agriculture[,] the Secretary of Energy[, and] the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Section 1. Temporary Withdrawal of Areas. Consistent with the principles of responsible public stewardship that are entrusted to this office, with due consideration for a variety of relevant factors, including the need to foster an energy economy capable of meeting the country’s growing demand for reliable energy, the importance of marine life, impacts on ocean currents and wind patterns, effects on energy costs for Americans–especially those who can least afford it–and to ensure that the United States is able to maintain a robust fishing industry for future generations and provide low cost energy to its citizens, I hereby direct as follows:

Under the authority granted to me in section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1341(a), I hereby withdraw from disposition for wind energy leasing all areas within the Offshore Continental Shelf (OCS) as defined in section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1331. This withdrawal shall go into effect beginning on January 21, 2025, and shall remain in effect until this Presidential Memorandum is revoked.

To the extent that an area is already withdrawn from disposition for wind energy leasing, the area’s withdrawal is extended for a time period beginning on January 21, 2025, until this Presidential Memorandum is revoked.

This withdrawal temporarily prevents consideration of any area in the OCS for any new or renewed wind energy leasing for the purposes of generation of electricity or any other such use derived from the use of wind. This withdrawal does not apply to leasing related to any other purposes such as, but not limited to, oil, gas, minerals, and environmental conservation.

Nothing in this withdrawal affects rights under existing leases in the withdrawn areas. With respect to such existing leases, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Attorney General as needed, shall conduct a comprehensive review of the ecological, economic, and environmental necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases, identifying any legal bases for such removal, and submit a report with recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.

Sec. 2. Temporary Cessation and Immediate Review of Federal Wind Leasing and Permitting Practices. (a) In light of various alleged legal deficiencies underlying the Federal Government’s leasing and permitting of onshore and offshore wind projects, the consequences of which may lead to grave harm–including negative impacts on navigational safety interests, transportation interests, national security interests, commercial interests, and marine mammals–and in light of potential inadequacies in various environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act [of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] to lease or permit wind projects, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of all other relevant agencies, shall not issue new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore or offshore wind projects pending the completion of a comprehensive assessment and review of Federal wind leasing and permitting practices. The Secretary of the Interior shall lead that assessment and review in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Secretary of Energy, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The assessment shall consider the environmental impact of onshore and offshore wind projects upon wildlife, including, but not limited to, birds and marine mammals. The assessment shall also consider the economic costs associated with the intermittent generation of electricity and the effect of subsidies on the viability of the wind industry.

(span) In light of criticism that the Record of Decision (ROD) issued by the Bureau of Land Management on December 5, 2024, with respect to the Lava Ridge Wind Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), as approved by the Department of the Interior, is allegedly contrary to the public interest and suffers from legal deficiencies, the Secretary of the Interior shall, as appropriate, place a temporary moratorium on all activities and rights of Magic Valley Energy, LLC, or any other party under the ROD, including, but not limited to, any rights-of-way or rights of development or operation of any projects contemplated in the ROD. The Secretary of the Interior shall review the ROD and, as appropriate, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of the various interests implicated by the Lava Ridge Wind Project and the potential environmental impacts.

(c) The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall assess the environmental impact and cost to surrounding communities of defunct and idle windmills and deliver a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, with their findings and recommended authorities to require the removal of such windmills.

(d) The Attorney General may, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, provide notice of this order to any court with jurisdiction over pending litigation related to any aspect of the Federal leasing or permitting of onshore or offshore wind projects or the Lava Ridge Wind Project, and may, in the Attorney General’s discretion, request that the court stay the litigation or otherwise delay further litigation, or seek other appropriate relief consistent with this order, pending the completion of the actions described in subsection (a) or subsection (span) of this section, as applicable.

This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.