President Joe Biden is about to make a major announcement that will change the way we think about offshore drilling. According to a recent report, Biden plans to ban new offshore oil and gas development across a whopping 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory – that’s a lot of ocean! This new ban will cover parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, along with the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
However, there’s a twist! Biden isn’t closing the door on all drilling. He’s leaving room for new oil and gas leasing in the central and western Gulf of Mexico. These areas are key players in the nation’s oil and gas production, responsible for about 14% of it.
This bold move is all about pushing forward on Biden’s commitment to tackle climate change and work towards decarbonizing the U.S. economy by 2050. It’s a big step for the future of our planet, and Biden’s action will surely be remembered as a milestone in his efforts to protect the environment.
The law Biden is using to make this happen, called the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, gives him the power to make these decisions without the worry of future presidents being able to undo them. Even former President Trump’s attempt to reverse Obama’s 2016 ban on Arctic and Atlantic Ocean drilling was blocked by a federal judge, who ruled that the law didn’t give presidents the authority to revoke previous bans.
With this move, Biden is making sure that the U.S. takes a more responsible and sustainable approach to its energy future.
