President Joe Biden announced a sweeping ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal waters, protecting shorelines from Maine to Florida, the entire Pacific Coast, parts of Alaska, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
The executive order, issued Monday, aims to shield coastal communities, marine wildlife, fishing industries and tourism from potential environmental damage and oil spills. The ban covers approximately 20% of U.S.-controlled seabed.
"Drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation's energy needs," Biden said in a statement. The president cited the devastating 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster as evidence of offshore drilling risks.
The ban will not affect existing oil and gas operations or the central and western Gulf of Mexico, where most U.S. offshore drilling currently takes place. The Gulf produces nearly 15% of the nation's oil and 97% of offshore gas production.
President-elect Donald Trump immediately opposed the decision, vowing to reverse it after taking office on January 20. "I'll unban it immediately," Trump said during a radio interview.
However, legal experts suggest overturning the ban may prove challenging. Biden implemented the restriction using the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which gives presidents authority to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing. A similar ban by former President Obama survived legal challenges when Trump attempted to reverse it.
Environmental groups celebrated the decision as a victory for ocean protection and climate action. The oil industry criticized the move, with the National Ocean Industries Association calling it "a strategic error" that could impact America's energy security.
The ban reflects growing opposition to offshore drilling in coastal states. Recent polling shows that 78% of Californians favor offshore wind development over new oil drilling platforms. No new oil platforms have been built in Southern California waters since 1984, largely due to environmental concerns following the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.
This executive action adds to Biden's environmental legacy as he approaches the end of his term, alongside other conservation measures including the planned designation of two new national monuments in California.