Trump Administration Proposes Major Expansion of Offshore Oil Drilling in Protected Coastal Waters

Environmental groups are preparing to challenge the Trump administration's ambitious offshore drilling expansion plan announced Thursday.

The Interior Department has unveiled a draft proposal that would significantly increase crude drilling opportunities in previously protected coastal waters. The plan outlines up to 34 offshore lease sales, including 21 near Alaska, 6 along the Pacific Coast, and 7 in the Gulf of Mexico, encompassing waters near Florida and Alabama that have been protected for three decades.

Republican leaders in southern coastal states have historically opposed such drilling initiatives due to concerns about potential oil spills devastating fishing and tourism industries, which are economic pillars for these regions.

If implemented as proposed, this expansion would open more than 1 billion acres of coastal zones to energy exploration.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated, "The Biden administration slammed the brakes on offshore oil and gas leasing and crippled the long-term pipeline of America's offshore production. By moving forward with a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring America's offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come."

The American Petroleum Institute praised the plan as "historic," while the Natural Resources Defence Council condemned it as a "reckless" gift to large oil corporations.

This proposal, which would replace the Biden administration's limited three-auction plan for 2024-2029, represents only the initial phase of a process that will include public comment periods and additional reviews before finalization. Prior to the official release, Trump officials had already removed East Coast drilling rights from consideration after opposition from southeastern Republican representatives.

Nevertheless, the extensive scope of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's proposal reflects Trump's commitment to expanding domestic energy production. It includes lease sales in Alaska's Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, and Chukchi Sea, as well as unprecedented drilling rights in the high Arctic region approximately 200 miles north of Alaska's coast—an area environmentalists describe as particularly vulnerable.

An index of oilfield contractors including major offshore drilling companies like Transocean Ltd. declined 3.1% in New York trading, extending a 12-month drop to 13%. Drilling stocks have been underperforming amid concerns about global crude oversupply affecting oil prices.

Industry advocates emphasized that the broad initial proposal is part of the process, with Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, noting, "This is a large, cast-a-wide-net step in the process. This is not the final step and it's important to keep as much on the table as possible."

Environmental groups and West Coast politicians are poised to challenge the plan. California Governor Gavin Newsom has already declared the proposal for new oil drilling rights off the West Coast "dead on arrival."

While Southern California has some active legacy oil leases, new drilling rights in this region haven't been auctioned since the mid-1980s. The Pacific Outer Continental Shelf is estimated to contain more than 10 billion barrels of crude oil.

Joseph Gordon, campaign director at environmental organization Oceana, criticized the plan: "The last thing America needs now is a massive expansion of offshore drilling that could shut down our shores with catastrophic oil spills. This dangerous proposal to sell off millions of acres of our oceans is a betrayal of the bipartisan voices—including U.S. lawmakers, business leaders, and the people who live along the coasts—who oppose more offshore drilling."