Biden to Ban New Offshore Drilling Across 625 Million Acres Before Trump Takes Office

Jan 6, 2025, 11:06 AM

President Joe Biden is set to ban new offshore oil and gas development across 625 million acres (250 million hectares) of US coastal waters, including the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska's North Bering Sea. The move, expected to be announced on Monday, aims to protect these waters by indefinitely blocking future drilling under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The ban, which is equivalent to nearly a quarter of the total land area of the United States, is intended to complicate any efforts by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling. Biden stated that drilling in these areas is "not worth the risks" and "unnecessary" to meet the nation’s energy needs. This action is seen as a significant part of Biden's climate legacy and a move to safeguard coastal communities.