US President Joe Biden has imposed a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of the nation’s coastline, in one of his administration’s final acts on climate policy before Donald Trump takes office. The ban applies to the entire Atlantic coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska.
This decision comes just weeks before Trump’s scheduled return to the White House, as part of a series of last-minute environmental actions by the Biden administration. Trump, who has long pledged to “unleash” domestic fossil fuel production to lower gas prices, has repeatedly criticized Biden’s climate policies, which he sees as detrimental to energy independence.
Announcing the ban, Biden stated, “My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks.”
In response, Trump dismissed the ban as “ridiculous” during a radio interview, asserting that he could overturn the decision immediately upon taking office. “I’ll unban it immediately,” Trump declared. The incoming president has promised to reverse many of Biden’s conservation and climate change policies.
The new offshore drilling ban is enacted under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which allows the president to withdraw areas from mineral leasing and drilling. However, the law does not grant presidents the authority to revoke previous bans. A 2019 court ruling stipulates that a reversal would require an act of Congress, which is now controlled by Trump’s Republican party. Additionally, areas already leased for drilling are not subject to revocation under the law.
While Trump has been a staunch advocate for expanding oil and gas exploration, he used the same law in 2020 to protect waters off Florida’s coast—a move seen as politically motivated ahead of the election. Biden’s new ban will also protect that area, but with no expiration date.
The ban covers more than 625 million acres (253 million hectares) of water and is expected to face significant opposition from the oil and gas industry. Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, called Biden’s decision “politically motivated” and urged Congress to reverse it.
Environmental groups, however, welcomed the move. Joseph Gordon of Oceana called it “an epic ocean victory,” praising the protection of coastal communities for future generations. Environmentalists and Democrats had advocated for the ban, citing concerns that new drilling would undermine efforts to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Biden’s decision is expected to spark legal challenges, with Trump likely to pursue avenues to overturn the ban. A final ruling could be made by the Supreme Court, which currently holds a conservative majority.
The decision reflects broader global concerns about the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption, with the International Energy Agency recommending a 5% annual reduction in oil and gas demand to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
