Biden Imposes Ban on Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling in Most Federal Waters

President Joe Biden is moving to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in much of U.S. coastal waters, marking a last-minute effort to thwart potential actions by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling. With his term set to end in two weeks, Biden stated that he is using authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska's North Bering Sea from future oil and gas leasing.

In a statement on Monday, Biden said, "My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have long known: drilling in these waters can cause irreversible damage to places we value and is unnecessary to meet our nation's energy needs. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we transition to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these shores for our children and grandchildren."