WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is taking steps to prohibit new offshore oil and natural gas drilling in the majority of U.S. coastal waters, a preemptive move aimed at preventing the incoming Trump administration from expanding offshore drilling activities. Biden, whose presidency is nearing its end in just two weeks, is invoking his authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to safeguard offshore regions along the East and West coasts, parts of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and various segments of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from future leasing for oil and gas extraction.
In a statement issued on Monday, Biden reflected on the perspectives of coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers, emphasizing that drilling in these regions could lead to irreversible harm to cherished environments and is unnecessary for fulfilling the nation’s energy demands. He asserted, “As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we transition to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.”
Biden’s directive, which aims to preserve over 625 million acres of federal waters, will not impact extensive areas of the Gulf of Mexico, where a significant portion of U.S. offshore drilling takes place. However, it will shield coastlines in states like California and Florida from any future drilling ventures. The actions taken by Biden may create challenges for President-elect Donald Trump to reverse, as doing so would likely necessitate Congressional action.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act grants the presidency the power to withdraw land from mineral leasing — including oil and gas drilling — when it is considered too sensitive for such activities. Trump has a mixed record on offshore drilling; while he had previously called for substantial expansion in this sector, he later issued a memorandum in 2020 that aimed to protect the waters off the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina until 2032. Recently, Trump stated that once he takes office on January 20, he will work immediately to reverse Biden’s ban.
“I will unban it immediately,” Trump assured during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, claiming, “I have the right to unban it.” He argued that the United States possesses oil and gas resources that are unparalleled globally and intends to leverage them as a significant economic advantage. Trump has pledged to pursue what he calls “energy dominance” for the U.S., moving away from Biden’s climate change agenda.
Environmental advocates have praised Biden’s initiative, advocating for reduced oil and gas drilling to combat greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming, which has reportedly made 2024 the hottest year in recorded history. Joseph Gordon, campaign director for the environmental organization Oceana, called this decision an “epic ocean victory” and credited Biden for prioritizing the voices of coastal communities that oppose drilling.
Gordon noted that Biden’s actions continue a bipartisan commitment among past presidents to protecting coastal waters from offshore drilling, stating that U.S. coastlines are essential to millions of people and contribute significantly to the economy through a clean environment, abundant marine life, and vibrant fisheries. Biden indicated that his decision to withdraw certain areas from fossil fuel leasing stems from the realization that these locations present “relatively minimal potential” for meaningful production, counterbalanced by potential environmental, public health, and economic risks associated with new drilling.
The National Ocean Industries Association, an organization representing offshore drilling companies, has criticized Biden’s decision, terming it “a strategic error” motivated by political rather than scientific reasoning. Erik Milito, the group’s president, contended that this move undermines American energy consumers and threatens the benefits tied to a robust domestic energy sector.
Despite a lack of immediate interest in drilling in some offshore locations, Milito emphasized the importance of the federal government retaining flexibility to address unforeseen events, suggesting that blanket bans could inadvertently empower foreign energy producers like Russia at the expense of American interests. Biden has proposed to schedule up to three oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico but has opted against any in Alaska, trying to strike a balance between energy companies wishing to ramp up production and environmental activists advocating for a halt to new offshore drilling.
A five-year drilling plan established in 2023 includes proposed sales for 2025, 2027, and 2029. These three lease sales represent the minimum obligatory number the Democratic administration must offer to continue expanding offshore wind energy projects. Under a climate law enacted in 2022, the government must auction at least 60 million acres of offshore oil and gas leases within one year before it can proceed with offshore wind leases.
Biden’s prior approval of the contentious Willow oil project in Alaska had attracted significant backlash from environmentalists, and he has already restricted drilling in other areas of Alaska and the Arctic. Sandra Bundy, president of the Florida-based Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast, expressed her gratitude for Biden’s recent actions, asserting they will safeguard the Eastern seaboard for future generations.
Bundy claimed that opening all federal waters to drilling could seriously threaten coastal economies and ecosystems that are vital to millions of residents along the coastline. She highlighted that cities both large and small oppose the industrialization of the Atlantic while witnessing increasing occurrences of severe storms and flooding, along with serious threats driven by rising sea levels — challenges that would only worsen with the addition of offshore drilling.
