Biden banned offshore drilling in 625 million acres of federal waters before the Trump administration
On Monday, President Biden announced an 11-hour executive action banning new and further drilling oil and natural gas development on more than 625 million acres of US coastal and offshore waters.
Biden, whose term ends in two weeks, has said he is using the authority to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and parts of Alaska’s northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing. He referred to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 1953, which means President-elect Trump could be limited in its ability to revoke actions. Congress may need to intervene to give Trump the authority to return federal waters to development.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses and beachgoers have long known: that drilling on these shores could cause irreparable harm to the places we value and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden said in a statement. “It’s not worth the risk. 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 shores for our children and grandchildren.”
The move drew swift condemnation from Trump’s new White House press secretary, Caroline Leavitt.
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President Biden speaks at a reception for new Democratic members of Congress in the State Dining Room of the White House, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Cenet)
“This is a disgraceful decision designed to take political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices. Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail and we will drill, baby, drill,” Leavitt wrote on X.
Biden patted himself on the back for what he categorized as a legacy move in the fight against climate change.
“From day one, I delivered the most ambitious climate protection and conservation program in our country’s history. And over the past four years, I’ve conserved more than 670 million acres of American land and water, more than any other president in history,” Biden said. Our nation’s remarkable progress in conservation and restoration has been led locally by tribes, farmers and ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts across the country. Together, our America the Beautiful initiative has put the United States on track to meet my ambitious goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our nation’s land and waters by 2030.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa., as moderator South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem listens. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
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“We don’t need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our oceans healthy, our coasts resilient and the food they produce safe, and keeping energy prices low,” the statement added. “It’s a false choice. Protecting America’s coasts and oceans is the right thing to do and will help communities and economies thrive for generations to come.”
Ron Neal, chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of America’s Subsea Committee, also criticized Biden’s latest ban on offshore drilling as “significant and disastrous.”
“While it may not directly affect currently active production areas in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and adjacent coastal areas, it represents a major attack on the oil and natural gas industry. This should be viewed as an ‘elephant’s nose under the tent.’ The ban severely limits the potential for exploration and development in new areas, thereby stifling the long-term survival of the industry,” Neal, also president of Houston Energy LP and CEO of HEQ Deepwater, said in a statement. “This move is the first step toward more comprehensive restrictions across our industry in all US basins, including onshore. If activists are coming for anything, they’re coming for everything. The policy is disastrous for the development of new oil and natural gas fields, but environmentalists will eventually try to shut down offshore wind farms for much of the same reason, President Biden and his allies continue to push anti-energy policies that will hurt Americans.”
An offshore oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. (Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised to deliver for Americans “energy dominance” on the world stage as he looked toward boosting U.S. oil and gas drilling, as well as moving away from Biden’s prioritization of climate change initiatives.
