Since the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank into the Gulf of Mexico in late April 2010, the resulting oil spill and the events that may have contributed to the disaster have captured the attention of the general public, as well as government officials, on a historic scale. Despite the length of time that has passed since the incident, the environmental, operational, and regulatory impact of the spill, and the full range of public and privatesector responses, remains to an extent uncertain. However, it is apparent from the key issues that have emerged from the various investigations and reports, congressional hearings, and public debate relating to the spill that the federal policy and regulatory response to this incident will have significant implications, not only for those entities that engage in or support offshore drilling, but perhaps also for the broader energy industry and the manner in which the United States produces, transports, and consumes energy.