On January 15, 2024, President Joe Biden announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along most U.S. coastlines, protecting approximately 625 million acres in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Bering Sea. This decision aims to mitigate environmental and economic risks while reinforcing Biden’s climate legacy against anticipated Republican energy policies under President-elect Donald Trump. Utilizing a provision of the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), Biden’s ban significantly expands protections compared to former President Barack Obama’s 2016 actions.
Biden stated that drilling poses a risk to beloved coastal areas and isn’t essential for meeting the nation’s energy needs, emphasizing the urgent need for a clean energy transition amidst a climate crisis. His actions have now protected a total of 670 million acres, the highest by any president. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland highlighted the administration’s commitment to acknowledging community concerns about oil and gas drilling impacts. The ban may obstruct Trump’s economic plans for increased fossil fuel production, especially in regions of past interest for oil exploration. Biden referenced the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill as a lesson underscoring the importance of ocean and coastal protection.
