Biden Bans Offshore Drilling on 625M Acres of US Waters
US Pres. Joe Biden on Monday announced executive action to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling across 625M acres of US coastal waters, including the entire Atlantic coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Pacific coasts, and portions of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea.
Facts
- US Pres. Joe Biden on Monday announced executive action to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling across 625M acres of US coastal waters, including the entire Atlantic coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Pacific coasts, and portions of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea.[1][2]
- The protection extends to approximately 334M acres of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf from Canada to Florida, 250M acres off the West Coast, and 44M acres in Alaska's Northern Bering Sea.[3]
- The ban doesn't affect existing oil and gas operations in the central and western Gulf of Mexico, which produce about 15% of the nation's oil supplies.[3][4]
- This builds on Biden's climate agenda, which includes approving 19 gigawatts of offshore wind projects and investing $2.6B in coastal communities.[3]
- The ban, implemented through the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, has no expiration date and prohibits all future oil and natural gas leasing in the withdrawn areas.[5][6]
- The 1953 law doesn't give presidents explicit authority to reverse the action. Pres.-elect Donald Trump would have to get Congress to change it before he could undo Biden's move.[7][8]
Sources: [1]Financial Times, [2]CNN, [3]The White House, [4]BBC News, [5]NBC, [6]FOX News, [7]The Guardian and [8]Breitbart.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The New York Times and Offshore Energy. This ban protects marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and local economies across the US' coasts from irreversible environmental damage and oil spills. The minimal fossil fuel potential in these areas doesn't justify the environmental, health, and economic risks of new drilling, especially as the US transitions to clean energy.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Offshore and FOX News. Biden's last-minute anti-energy policy will hurt Americans by restricting energy development and economic growth.This is a catastrophic attack on the oil and natural gas industry, as it severely limits exploration potential and long-term survival of the sector. Oil and gas are the country's greatest resources and one of its biggest economic assets.
