About two weeks before President-elect Trump takes office, President Joe Biden blocked new offshore oil and gas drilling in several areas of the country. [emphasis, links added]
Biden announced he would block new drilling along the entire East Coast and in California, Oregon and Washington state.
The president's move also blocks some drilling in parts of the northern Bering Sea and eastern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Alaska
“Drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to the places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meeting our nation's energy needs. It is not worth the risk,” Biden said in a statement.
He added: “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 efforts are not targeting areas that are major centers of fossil fuel development. The vast majority of U.S. offshore oil and gas production comes from the central and western Gulf of Mexico and is not affected by the move.
According to the Ministry of Interior, Industrial activity in the area blocked by Biden has historically been “very low” and there is no active oil and gas exploration or production in the Atlantic.
despite this, The move may be an attempt to prevent expansion under President-elect Trump, who has pledged to boost domestic energy production and “drill baby drills.”
Oil industry groups slammed the decision, which is the largest area ever formally removed from drilling by a president.
“American voters have sent a clear message of support for domestic energy development, but the current administration has spent its final days in office cementing a record of doing everything possible to limit energy development,” explain Mike Summers, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, an oil and gas lobby group.
“We urge policymakers to use every tool at their disposal to reverse this politically motivated decision and restore a pro-American approach to federal leasing for energy,” Summers added.
While Trump may try to reverse Biden's move to protect more than 625 million acres, it's unclear whether he will succeed.
Reading and resting in the mountains
