Top leaders from both sides of the political aisle agree that energy demand is rapidly growing for the first time in more than a decade. They also agree that America desperately needs an expansion of new energy production to meet that demand, which must include pursuing an energy strategy that is secure, reliable, affordable and clean.

A major step toward new American offshore wind production was taken in August as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management administered an auction for two offshore wind farms: one off the coast of Delaware and Maryland and the other off the coast of Virginia. These lease sales resulted in a total revenue of over $92 million.

As important as these developments are, however, we must also ensure that states and local communities are benefiting from the coming offshore wind development.

A bipartisan policy known as the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act would do just that. The RISEE Act has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate and was heard by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently. The policy has already been championed by strong conservative leaders here in Louisiana like Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy. If enacted, the policy would send 37.5% of revenue from offshore wind development in federal waters back to states adjacent to the project. These funds would be used to support important coastal restoration projects, hurricane protection and infrastructure improvements in Louisiana.

America has a long history of leading the world in solving problems through free market innovation, so we should cheer bipartisan policies like the RISEE Act that aim to unlock new sources of energy generation. America's power supply is too important to be subject to partisan games.

WILL HARDY

state director, Conservatives for Clean Energy -- Louisiana