President Biden on Monday announced an 11th-hour executive action banning new drilling and further oil and gas development in more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal and offshore waters.
Biden, whose term ends in two weeks, said he would use his 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 gas leases. . He invoked the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which means President-elect Trump may have limited authority to reverse the action. Congressional intervention may be needed to give President Trump the authority to return federal waters to development.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for years: drilling off our coasts is an irreversible threat to the places we hold dear,” Biden said in a statement. “It has the potential to cause significant damage and is unnecessary to meet our nation's energy needs.” “It’s not worth the risk. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and as we transition to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these shores for our children and grandchildren. It's time to protect it.”
The move quickly drew condemnation from President Trump's incoming White House press secretary, Caroline Leavitt.
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President Biden speaks at a reception for new Democratic members of Congress at the White House State Dining Room on Sunday, January 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Seneta)
“This is a shameful decision aimed at political revenge against the American people who gave President Trump the mandate to expand drilling and lower gas prices. Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail,” Levitt said. And we dig, baby, we dig.” X.
Biden patted himself on the back for what he recognized as a legacy effort in the fight against climate change.
“Since day one, I have implemented the most ambitious climate change and conservation agenda in our nation's history. And over the past four years, I have conserved more than 670 million acres of American land and water. “This is more than any president in history,” Biden said. “Our Nation's remarkable progress in conservation and restoration has been led locally by tribes, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, and outdoor recreationists across the country. With our America the Beautiful vision, the United States We are now on track to meet our ambitious goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our nation's land and waters by 2030.”
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds on October 14, 2024 in Oaks, Pennsylvania. The host, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, listens attentively. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
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“We don't have to choose between environmental protection and economic growth. There is no need to choose between keeping prices low,” the statement added. “Those are false choices. Protecting America's coasts and oceans is the right thing to do and will help our communities and economy thrive for generations to come.”
Ron Neal, chairman of the American Independent Petroleum Association's marine committee, also condemned Biden's last-minute offshore drilling ban, calling it “serious and devastating.”
“Although it may not directly impact currently active production areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) or adjacent coastal areas, it represents a significant attack on the oil and gas industry. It should be seen as 'the nose of the nose'. “This ban significantly limits exploration and development potential in new areas, thereby reducing the long-term viability of the industry,'' said Houston Energy LP President and HEQ Deepwater CEO. Neal said in a statement. “This move is the first step toward broader industry-wide restrictions in all U.S. watersheds, including on land. If activists come for something, they come for everything. This policy is disastrous for the development of new areas of oil and natural resources.''But environmentalists will eventually seek to shut down offshore wind farms for much the same reason. President Biden and his allies continue to promote anti-energy policies that harm Americans. ”
Offshore oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. (Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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During the 2024 campaign, Trump aims to ramp up U.S. oil and gas drilling, distance himself from Biden's priorities on tackling climate change, and vow to demonstrate America's “energy dominance” on the world stage. I promised.
