Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 21: In a sweeping policy reversal, the Donald Trump administration on Thursday announced an expansive offshore oil and gas leasing proposal that would open vast stretches of coastal waters—including those off California, Florida and Alaska—to new drilling. The move dismantles restrictions imposed during former US President Joe Biden’s tenure and marks one of the most wide-ranging federal offshore leasing initiatives in decades.
According to the Interior Department, a new Secretary’s Order has directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to scrap the Biden administration’s 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Programme and replace it with a significantly broader 2026–2031 plan. The draft schedule proposes up to 34 offshore lease sales across 1.27 billion acres—21 areas in Alaska, seven in the Gulf of Mexico and six along the Pacific coastline.
Announcing the proposal, US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the new approach was essential to restoring America’s long-term energy pipeline. He asserted that the previous administration “slammed the brakes” on offshore leasing, and that expanding development was vital to keeping the nation “energy dominant for decades to come.”
If approved, the plan would open regions that have not witnessed drilling activity in several decades, and in some cases, areas that have never been developed. The Trump administration argues that the expansion is necessary to meet rising national energy demands, replacing a Biden-era programme that included only three lease sales between 2024 and 2029.
The announcement has already triggered strong reactions from political leaders, particularly in coastal states. California Governor Gavin Newsom dismissed the plan as “dead on arrival,” warning of severe threats to marine ecosystems, coastal economies, fisheries and tourism. Officials highlighted the region’s vulnerability, recalling the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill and emphasising that California lacks the infrastructure to support a new wave of offshore development.
Florida leaders have also expressed long-standing opposition to drilling near the state’s coastline, pointing to the enduring impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and fears of similar environmental and economic damage.
Environmental organisations echoed these concerns, stating that coastal communities have repeatedly made it clear that they do not support offshore drilling near their shores. Advocates warned that the proposal exposes marine habitats and coastal livelihoods to unnecessary risk.
More than 100 members of Congress have reportedly urged the Trump administration to withdraw the plan, cautioning that expanding offshore drilling could result in far-reaching environmental and economic consequences.