The US Interior Department announced plans Nov. 20 to dramatically expand oil and gas leasing in federal waters, including offshore Florida and California, where drilling is opposed by most state officials and lawmakers.
The plan, announced by the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM), envisions up to 34 lease sales covering some 1.27 billion acres through 2031, and broadens the number of lease sales outlined in the Biden administration’s 5-year plan that was to run through 2029. That plan was the smallest in decades, offering just three lease sales, all in the Gulf.
“The Biden administration slammed the brakes on offshore oil and gas leasing and crippled the long-term pipeline of America’s offshore production,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a press release. “By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.”
The plan envisions six lease sales along the southern, central, and northern California coasts from 2027 to 2029.
It includes a 2030 sale in the North Arctic, an area north of Alaska near the North Pole that the US has laid claim to, as well as sales offshore Alaska in the Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, and Chukchi Sea.
It also proposes seven Gulf of Mexico sales, including two in a newly designated area in waters off the coast of Florida. It does not offer leases off the Atlantic coast of Florida.
The plan is likely to spark disputes in Congress, as it includes long-off-limit areas offshore the West Coast and new leases in areas in the Gulf and Arctic Ocean. The US has not held a federal lease sale in the Arctic since 2008 and in the Pacific since 1984.
Industry lauded the proposal, with API president Mike Sommers calling the plan a “historic step toward unleashing our nation’s vast offshore resources."
Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, added that “strategic energy leadership necessarily means opening the door to investment in new areas, including the Pacific, Atlantic, Alaska, and the Eastern Gulf."
Environmental groups blasted the plan.
"With complete disregard for the well-being of coastal communities, the future of our planet, and the habitats of incredible wildlife, the Trump administration has recklessly put forth a proposal to expand offshore oil and gas drilling," the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement.
A 60-day public comment period on the new 5-year lease plan begins Nov. 24.
