Image source: X/@SecretaryBurgum
The Donald Trump administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping offshore oil and gas leasing proposal that would open waters off California, Florida and Alaska to new drilling, reversing restrictions imposed during former US President Joe Biden’s presidency. The draft schedule, detailed in a new Interior Department plan, was described by Politico as the most expansive federal offshore leasing push in decades.The Department of the Interior issued a new Secretary’s Order directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to end the Biden administration’s 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Programme and replace it with a far broader 2026–2031 plan. According to BOEM, the draft proposal includes up to 34 potential offshore lease sales across 1.27 billion acres, covering 21 areas off Alaska, seven in the Gulf of Mexico and six along the Pacific coast.“Offshore oil and gas production does not happen overnight. It takes years of planning, investment, and hard work before barrels reach the market,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said. “The Biden administration slammed the brakes on offshore oil and gas leasing and crippled the long-term pipeline of America’s offshore production. By moving forward with a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, workers stay employed, and the nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.”The proposal would open areas that have not seen drilling in decades or have never been developed. The administration argues the expansion is necessary to meet the nation’s “growing energy needs.” It replaces a Biden-era programme that includes only three scheduled sales between 2024 and 2029. Politico reported that the new plan includes lease sales off the California coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Arctic waters off Alaska, including previously untouched parts of the High Arctic.The announcement triggered immediate political resistance. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the plan “dead on arrival,” according to Axios, with state officials warning of threats to ecosystems, tourism and fisheries. The Washington Post noted that Florida has long opposed drilling near its shoreline and that the Deepwater Horizon disaster had a lasting impact on the state, leading lawmakers to resist similar proposals during Trump’s first term.The Washington Post also reported that California officials pointed to the legacy of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill and argued there is no national need for expanded drilling. They added that the region lacks the infrastructure to support a major offshore push and that state regulators would oppose new terminals and pipelines.Environmental groups also criticised the proposal. “The people of these states have been clear that they don’t want this off their coasts,” a Natural Resources Defense Council official said, as quoted by Axios.According to the Washington Post, more than 100 members of Congress have urged the administration to drop the plan, warning of environmental and economic risks.
