Joe Biden has moved to ban offshore oil and natural gas drilling on most U.S. coast waters. This is a last minute effort to prevent any action taken by the Trump administration that could expand offshore drilling.

Biden’s term ends in two weeks. He said that he will use the authority granted by the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCLS) to protect areas offshore along the East Coast and West Coast, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea against future leasing of oil and natural gases.

Biden stated in a press release that “my decision reflects what coastal businesses, communities and beachgoers know for a very long time: drilling off our coasts can cause irreversible harm to places we cherish and is not necessary to meet the energy needs of our nation.”

He said, “As climate change continues to threaten communities throughout the United States and as we transition to a cleaner energy economy, it is now time to protect our coasts for the sake of our children and their grandchildren.”

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Biden’s order would not affect large areas of the Gulf of Mexico where most U.S. off-shore drilling takes place, but would protect coasts in California, Florida, and other states against future drilling.

Biden’s actions that protect over 625 million acres in federal waters could be hard for Donald Trump, as they would require a congressional act to repeal. Trump has a complex history with offshore drilling. In 2020, he signed a memo directing the Interior Secretary to prevent drilling off the coasts Georgia and South Carolina and both Florida coasts.

Trump had initially planned to expand offshore drilling but then backed down amid opposition from Florida and other coastal state.

Trump wants to increase U.S. drilling for oil and gas and to move away from Biden’s focus on climate changes.

Environmentalists praised Biden’s actions, saying that new oil and gas drilling should be severely curtailed in order to reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to global heating. The hottest year in recorded history was 2024.

Joseph Gordon, the campaign director of Oceana’s environmental group, said: “This is a huge ocean victory!”

Gordon thanked Biden for “listening to the voices of coastal communities” who oppose drilling, and “contributing towards the bipartisan tradition protecting our coasts.”

Gordon added that Biden’s actions built on the legacy of Democratic Presidents and Republican Presidents who have protected coastal waters from offshore drilling. The U.S. coasts are home for tens and millions of Americans, and they support billions in economic activity, which depends on a healthy environment, abundant wildlife, and flourishing fisheries.

Biden stated that in balancing the multiple uses of America’s oceans he was removing areas from fossil fuels use because they have “relatively little potential”. This does not justify any possible risks to public health, environmental and economic that could come with new leasing and drilling.

Trump’s spokeswoman mocked Biden by saying: “Joe Biden clearly wishes to leave a legacy of high gas prices.”

Karoline Lavitt, the spokeswoman for Biden, described his action as “a shameful decision intended to exact political vengeance on American citizens who gave President Trump an mandate to increase drilling, and lower gas costs. You can be sure that Joe Biden is going to fail and we’ll drill, baby, drilling.

Biden proposed three oil and natural gas lease sales for the Gulf of Mexico but none for Alaska. He is trying to balance between energy companies that want to increase oil and natural gas production, and environmentalists who want to stop new offshore drilling to fight climate change.

The drilling plan for the five years approved in 2023 proposes offshore sales for 2025, 2027, and 2029. The Democratic administration can legally offer three lease sales if they want to expand offshore wind development.

According to a climate law that will take effect in 2022, the government is required to offer at least 60,000,000 acres (24,2,000,000 hectares) worth of offshore oil and natural gas leases within a one-year time period before offering offshore wind leases.

Biden has limited offshore drilling previously in Alaska and in the Arctic Ocean. His decision to approve the massive Willow oil project, in Alaska, was strongly condemned by environmental groups.