Biden to Permanently Ban New Offshore Drilling in US Coastal Waters

In a move set to complicate President-elect Donald Trump's energy ambitions, President Joe Biden is preparing to issue an executive order permanently banning new offshore drilling for oil and gas in some US coastal waters. The decision, expected in the coming days, will block new offshore drilling in areas along the outer continental shelf of the United States, citing sources familiar with Biden's plan.

The Biden-Harris administration's new oil drilling ban is rooted in the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which allows the president to permanently protect US waters from new oil and gas leases without explicitly authorizing presidents to remove the protections. This move will make it challenging for the incoming Trump administration to undo the offshore oil drilling ban for certain areas.

The anticipated move comes amid pressure from Democrat lawmakers and environmental groups to "maximize permanent protections from oil and gas drilling." Environmental groups have encouraged Biden to ban future oil and gas drilling leases, arguing that this action will "safeguard vulnerable coastal communities, advance the transition to clean energy, and build on your climate legacy".

Biden administration officials have been considering a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling leases for over two years. However, the administration increased its effort to advance the offshore drilling ban following Trump's landslide election victory in November. While Biden is currently on track to issue more protections than any other president for US lands, advocates of the oil industry have warned against additional energy restrictions.

The exact locations of the coastal waters Biden is expected to issue protections for have not yet been revealed. However, sources told Bloomberg that the locations will be targeted, not widespread. The declaration would not affect drilling and other activity on existing leases.