Federal court records and news reports

Before Trump Takes Office, Biden Bans Offshore Drilling on 625 Million Acres

Jan 6, 2025, 01:20 PM

President Joe Biden has announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling across more than 625 million acres (2.5 million square kilometers) of U.S. coastal waters. The ban encompasses the entire Atlantic coast, the Pacific coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea. Using authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Biden stated that "drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs." The move aims to protect environmentally sensitive areas and comes shortly before President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to increase fossil fuel production, takes office. The executive action may be difficult for the incoming administration to reverse.