President Joe Biden plans to prohibit new offshore oil and gas development across 625 million acres (250 million hectares) of US coastal waters, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.
The ban, expected to be announced on Monday, will block the sale of drilling rights in significant portions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico, according to the report, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the decision.
However, the plan reportedly leaves room for new oil and natural gas leasing in the central and western Gulf of Mexico, which collectively contribute about 14% of the nation’s production of these fuels. The White House has not yet commented on the matter.
The move is seen as a cornerstone of Biden’s climate policy, furthering his commitment to decarbonise the US economy by 2050.
The ban would rely on the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which grants presidents broad authority to restrict offshore drilling.
Notably, the law does not allow future presidents, including President-elect Donald Trump, to easily revoke such restrictions.
The New York Times noted that past presidents, including Biden, Trump, and Barack Obama, have invoked this law to limit offshore drilling in certain areas.
Trump’s 2017 attempt to reverse Obama-era bans in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans was struck down by a federal judge in 2019, reinforcing the permanence of such actions under the law.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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