The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act cap was raised by 30%, to $650 million annually for ten years starting in fiscal 2025. That includes $487.5 million for GOMESA revenue-sharing among Gulf states and $162.5 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

It may or may not develop into a tropical depression, but the system will bring rains and the possibility of flooding. Here's the forecast for New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

A tropical storm may form this week, bringing risks of flash flooding and strong thunderstorms from Florida to Louisiana.

A flood watch will go into effect for much of south Louisiana this week as a slow-moving low-pressure system heads toward the Gulf of Mexico, bringing with it the potential for downpours and flash flooding along the Gulf Coast.

Regardless of whether a tropical depression forms in the Gulf of Mexico this week, Lafayette and south Louisiana can expect heavy rainfall and potential floods, according to the National Weather Service.

Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM has entered into a multi-year agreement with Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. HLX to carry out plug and abandonment (P&A) operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, a region where aging infrastructure is increasingly becoming the focus of decommissioning activity,