Biden imposes wide ranging ban on offshore drilling

In a significant climate policy move, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a sweeping ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of America’s coastline. The ban, unveiled just weeks before Donald Trump’s return to the White House, covers the entire Atlantic coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, and part of the Bering Sea off Alaska. The decision protects over 625 million acres (253 million hectares) of U.S. waters from new drilling activities.

This policy is the latest in a series of actions by the Biden administration aimed at strengthening environmental protections before Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Biden emphasized the importance of safeguarding coastal communities and ecosystems from the risks of drilling, stating that the decision aligns with long-standing concerns of businesses, residents, and environmentalists.

The move is grounded in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which allows presidents to withdraw areas from mineral leasing and drilling. However, the law does not permit subsequent administrations to overturn such protections without Congressional action. This creates a legal barrier for Trump, who has pledged to revoke the ban immediately upon taking office.

Donald Trump has long championed expanding domestic fossil fuel production, pledging during his campaign to “unleash” energy resources as a strategy to lower gas prices. He strongly criticized President Joe Biden’s recent offshore drilling ban, calling it “ridiculous” in a radio interview and vowing to overturn it upon taking office. However, a 2019 court ruling clarified that presidents lack the authority to revoke such protections unilaterally. Reversing Biden’s decision would likely require Congressional approval, a potentially difficult task even with a Republican-controlled legislature.

Interestingly, Trump himself used the same law in 2020 to protect Florida’s coastal waters from drilling. At the time, the move was widely seen as an attempt to secure votes in the state during his re-election campaign. Biden’s new decision expands these protections across much of the U.S. coastline, this time with no expiration date.

Environmental groups have celebrated the ban as a monumental achievement for conservation. Joseph Gordon, from Oceana, described it as an “epic ocean victory,” emphasizing its importance in safeguarding coastal communities and ecosystems for generations to come. The move underscores the broader divide between Biden’s climate-focused policies and Trump’s pro-energy agenda, setting the stage for potential legal and political battles ahead.

The oil and gas industry has criticized President Biden’s offshore drilling ban, with Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, claiming it undermines American energy security. Industry leaders argue the policy could harm domestic energy production amid volatile global markets and have called on Congress to overturn the decision.

Donald Trump’s incoming administration is expected to challenge the ban, possibly escalating the issue to the Supreme Court. While the Court’s Republican majority could favor Trump, legal precedent indicates significant hurdles in reversing Biden’s protections.

Biden’s decision supports international climate goals, including reducing oil and gas demand to limit global temperature rise. This move underscores the administration’s commitment to addressing climate change, marking a pivotal moment in U.S. energy policy. As the nation navigates the balance between energy security and environmental sustainability, the ban highlights a shift toward long-term conservation priorities.