On Monday, President Biden issued an 11th-hour executive order prohibiting new drilling and additional oil and gas development on more than 625 million acres of US coastal and offshore seas.
Biden, whose term ends in two weeks, said he is exercising his authority to safeguard offshore areas around the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from future oil and gas leasing. He invoked the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which may limit President-elect Trump’s authority to cancel the measure. Congress may need to intercede to allow Trump the authority to reopen federal waters for development.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden told reporters. “It’s not worth the risk. As the climate issue continues to threaten communities across the country, and we transition to a sustainable energy economy, now is the moment to safeguard these shores for our children and grandkids.”
Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s new White House press secretary, was quick to oppose the move.
“This is a shameful move intended to impose political vengeance on the American people, who gave President Trump a mandate to boost drilling and cut gas prices. “Be assured, Joe Biden will fail, and we will drill, baby, drill,” Leavitt wrote on X.
Biden congratulated himself on the back for what he described as a legacy move in the battle against climate change.
“From day one, I delivered on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in our country’s history. And, more than any other president in history, I have protected over 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters in the previous four years,” Biden stated. “Across the country, Tribes, farmers and ranchers, fishers, small businesses, and outdoor recreation lovers have spearheaded the astonishing conservation and restoration progress. Together, our ‘America the Beautiful’ project has put the US on schedule to accomplish my ambitious objective of conserving at least 30% of our country’s lands and waters by 2030.”
“We do not need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our ocean healthy, our coastlines resilient, and the food they produce secure and keeping energy prices low,” according to the statement. “Those are false choices. Protecting America’s coasts and oceans is the right thing to do, and it will benefit communities and the economy for centuries to come.
Ron Neal, head of the Independent Petroleum Association of America Offshore Committee, likewise called Biden’s last-ditch offshore drilling prohibition “significant and catastrophic.”
“While it may not have a direct impact on currently active production areas in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and adjacent coastal areas, it marks a significant attack on the oil and gas industry. This is the ‘elephant’s nose under the tent.’ The moratorium substantially limits the possibility for exploration and development in new areas, jeopardizing the industry’s long-term viability,” Neal, also President of Houston Energy LP and CEO of HEQ Deepwater, said in a statement. “This measure is the first step toward more sweeping restrictions across our business in all US basins, including onshore. If the activists come for something, they will come for everything. The policy is disastrous for the development of new oil and gas reserves, but environmentalists will eventually seek to shut down offshore wind projects for similar reasons. President Biden and his allies continue to promote anti-energy measures that will harm Americans.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump vowed to bring American “energy dominance” on the global arena, as he planned to boost U.S. oil and gas exploration while diverging from Biden’s priority of climate change programs.