President Joe Biden is on track to enact a permanent ban on future offshore oil and gas drilling in certain parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans—a move that would be especially challenging for an incoming administration to reverse. His plan relies on the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, a statute that grants presidents broad authority to remove federal waters from consideration for oil and gas leasing. Since the law doesn’t clearly outline a way for a subsequent president to reinstate those waters, any effort to reverse Biden’s decision would likely require an act of Congress.
Environmental organizations have urged the president to withdraw large regions off the Eastern Gulf of Mexico as well as other areas in the Atlantic and Pacific, effectively putting them out of reach for future fossil fuel drilling. Advocates say this would help protect coasts from potential oil spills and keep additional climate-harming emissions out of the atmosphere. Joseph Gordon from Oceana noted that the groups hope Biden’s action will be extensive and permanent, underscoring the need to safeguard these areas for the long term.
Even though President-elect Donald Trump displayed a generally friendly stance toward oil and gas, he also introduced his own offshore drilling bans during his term in office. After initially proposing broader offshore drilling, Trump later extended a ban in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and added similar protections along the Atlantic coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Environmental advocates, including Earthjustice vice president Drew Caputo, have pointed out that presidents from both parties have concluded there are certain oceanic territories too sensitive to risk for drilling.
So far, the White House has declined to comment on the new move, which was first reported by Bloomberg. Analysts suggest the ban, in practical terms, won’t have a large effect on current oil production, as the United States is already pumping record amounts and existing offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico will continue operating. Large-scale offshore developments typically require six to eight years before they come online, so experts believe this won’t fundamentally alter near-term supply, exports, or imports.
The American Petroleum Institute, however, strongly criticized Biden’s decision as misguided, contending that offshore oil and gas production generates American jobs, boosts domestic energy security, and fosters investment. An API spokesperson said they hope to work with any incoming administration to restore expanded offshore development.
In a separate move, Biden is also expected to declare two new national monuments in California. One would be in Southern California near Joshua Tree National Park, known as the Chuckwalla National Monument, and another in Northern California called the Sáttítla National Monument. Local Native tribes have long advocated for safeguarding these lands from energy development and have been pressing for permanent protection. With these additions, Biden will have established or expanded ten national monuments, continuing his broader efforts to secure his environmental legacy.
