Biden blocks new offshore drilling in vast areas

Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Biden blocks new offshore drilling in vast areas

President Biden has blocked new offshore drilling for oil and gas in several parts of the country two weeks before President-elect Trump takes office.

Biden has announced he’ll block new drilling off the entire East Coast, as well as California, Oregon and Washington state. The president’s move also blocks some drilling off Alaska’s coast in portions of the Northern Bering Sea and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

“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,” Biden said in a statement.

“As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren,” he added.

Biden’s effort does not target areas that are major hubs for fossil fuel development — the vast majority of U.S. offshore oil and gas production comes from the central and western Gulf of Mexico, which is unaffected by Monday’s announcement.

According to the Interior Department, industry activity in the area Biden blocked off has historically been “very low,” and there is no active oil and gas exploration or production in the Atlantic.

Nevertheless, the effort could be an effort to prevent expansions from taking place under President-elect Trump, who has promised to promote domestic energy production and “drill, baby, drill.”

Read more at TheHill.com.

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