WASHINGTON — In a dramatic, eleventh-hour decision, President Joe Biden has leveraged the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953 to prohibit oil and gas drilling across over 600 million acres of federal waters. This expansive measure, enacted just days before Biden’s term concludes, marks a significant environmental safeguard and sets the stage for a contentious legal struggle as Donald Trump prepares to assume office.
Spanning territories larger than multiple major U.S. states combined, Biden’s directive blocks fossil fuel exploration in significant portions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea. This area is notably greater in size than historical land acquisitions like the Louisiana Purchase.
The response from President-elect Trump was swift and sharp, deeming the act an unprecedented misuse of power. His stance was echoed by key figures including Karoline Leavitt, the incoming White House Press Secretary, and Mike Sommers, President of the American Petroleum Institute, both of whom criticized the move as a deviation from pro-energy policies.
Trump’s incoming administration, signaling a robust pro-energy agenda, faces a significant hurdle with this late-stage decision by Biden. Legal experts have highlighted that overturning this ban may require Congressional action, as the 1953 act does not allow for simple presidential reversals of such withdrawals.
Amid swift declarations from Trump to challenge the restrictions, his administration’s path remains unclear as the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act has seldom been scrutinized by the Supreme Court. Trump emphasized that lifting the ban would be a day-one priority, citing it as essential to national energy security.
The areas now protected from development were previously targeted by Trump for energy drilling during his first term, notably impacting potential expansions in fossil fuel extraction. While existing operations in the Gulf of Mexico are unaffected, the new policy interrupts plans for future development in these and other critical regions.
The oil and gas sectors have voiced significant concerns, urging Congressional leaders to intervene. They argue that the restrictions might not only stymie energy independence but also halt economic progress facilitated by accessing new energy reserves through advancing technology.
This move by Biden represents a stark pivot from Trump’s earlier administration, which had broadly sought to expand U.S. drilling operations. It also significantly escalates protections put in place by Trump himself, who had imposed moratoriums off the coasts of several southern states.
Supporters from coastal states, including bipartisan leaders and environmental groups, have hailed the decision as a monumental win for ocean conservation. However, Republican lawmakers have countered, calling it an overreach of executive power that should be reviewed by Congress.
Former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also utilized the same legal provision to protect critical areas of U.S. waters, with varying degrees of pushback and legal challenges. Trump attempted to roll back some of Obama’s protections, a move that was stalled by legal complexities.
Interestingly, the regions now under ban are those with lower prospects for profitable drilling, according to experts. Meanwhile, the Interior Department reassured that the existing leases in productive zones like the central and western Gulf of Mexico are adequate to support current oil and gas production levels for decades.
As Trump’s second term in office begins, the clash over this policy could become a significant legal and legislative battlefield. Conservative groups are already gearing up for a constitutional challenge, while environmental advocates prepare to defend the merits of the ban in court, framing the confrontation as a critical battle over the future of national energy strategy and environmental stewardship.