A decision set to mark a turning point in U.S. energy policy: President Joe Biden is ready to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling on approximately 625 million acres of coastal land.
This choice excludes the sale of drilling rights in the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The goal is to permanently protect communities and marine ecosystems from environmental risks such as fuel spills, and align legislation with climate commitments.
Sources close to the White House have reported that the president considers this a bold and necessary step, emphasizing his intention to ensure long-term protection for U.S. waters. However, Biden will not completely close the door to production: the central and western areas of the Gulf of Mexico, which currently provide 14% of the country’s oil and gas, will continue to be available for new leases.
The resolution will be formalized on Monday and will solidify the outgoing Democratic administration’s environmental credentials. This news comes as the transition to the new leadership of the White House approaches, marking a final effort to lock in conservation policies before the arrival of Donald Trump.
The action is based on a federal law from 1953, which allows the president to withdraw marine areas from leasing programs with no immediate revocation possibility by successors. Even though Donald Trump had previously tried to undo similar protections established by Barack Obama, his attempt was rejected in court in 2019.
Joseph Gordon, a representative of the environmental group Oceana, stated that this action would ensure that the reserves of the Eastern Gulf and South Pacific are not exploited, respecting the desire of the majority of Americans to limit offshore drilling.
Environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers are celebrating the measure as a historic victory in the fight against climate change, while supporters of the oil industry are warning that this approach could compromise the U.S. energy advantage.
Dustin Meyer from the American Petroleum Institute commented that this move was short-sighted, as limiting domestic production would make the U.S. more dependent on foreign sources while energy demand grows.
Although Biden’s decision will not affect existing leases and still leaves the possibility of approving new lease sales in the central and western Gulf, for the protected coastal areas, the message is clear: the future is focused on preservation.
