(The Center Square) − On Nov. 5, voters in Louisiana will decide on an initiative to deposit federal funds from renewable energy into Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund.
Currently, oil and gas production is the primary source of funding, but since the U.S. government began producing wind energy off Louisiana’s coast in 2023, the Pelican state has the opportunity to see revenue shares from alternative energy production.
One site includes 102,480 acres off Lake Charles and a 2024 proposal for a second wind lease sale including four areas off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas totaling 410,060 acres.
As Louisiana faces ongoing coastal erosion and climate challenges, the amendment may further enhance projects toward protecting its vulnerable coastline.
In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its partners restored 473 acres of marsh and over 11,000 feet of ridge habitat in Louisiana’s Bayou De Cade.
The $14 million project, funded through NOAA’s Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act Program, aimed to combat land loss and protect Louisiana’s coastline. The restored marsh now supports key species like redfish and blue crabs and provides vital protection against erosion and flooding for the state’s billion-dollar seafood industry.