JOE Biden has banned new offshore oil and gas drilling in most US coastal waters.
The US president made a last-minute effort on Monday to block possible action by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling.
Biden (below), whose term expires in two weeks, said 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 portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing.
The announcement comes just days after incoming president Donald Trump commented on the UK’s own oil and gas industry in the North Sea, saying the country's move away from North Sea oil was "a big mistake".
In a post on social media over the weekend, Trump urged the UK Government to “open up” the North Sea and to get rid of “windmills”.
Announcing the latest decision on Monday, Biden said: “My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs.
“As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.”
Biden’s orders would not affect large swathes of the Gulf of Mexico, where most US offshore drilling occurs, but it would protect coastlines along California, Florida and other states from future drilling.
His actions, which protect more than 625 million acres of federal waters, could be difficult for Trump to unwind, since they would likely require an act of Congress to repeal.
What is Donald Trump’s position on offshore drilling?
Trump himself has a complicated position on offshore drilling. He signed a memorandum in 2020 directing the interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts, and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina until 2032.
The incoming US president (pictured above) has vowed to establish what he calls American “energy dominance” around the world as he seeks to boost US oil and gas drilling and move away from Biden’s focus on climate change.
A spokeswoman for Trump mocked Biden’s announcement, saying: “Joe Biden clearly wants high gas prices to be his legacy”.
‘The world is moving on’
The decision was welcomed by Uplift, an environmental group which supports efforts to transition from oil and gas production in the UK, and which is involved in the legal challenge against the Rosebank oil field.
Daniel Jones, head of research and policy at Uplift, commented: “Biden's ban on new offshore drilling in the last stages of his presidency is another sign of the momentum away from oil and gas.
“It sends a strong political signal to other nations making efforts to transition and a message to investors that the time to end oil and gas expansion is now.
“Oil and gas firms will push back, and Trump – a man who has been generously funded by their interests – will do everything in his power to allow unlimited drilling and keep the world hooked on expensive fossil fuels, protecting the interests of the US oil and gas industry and its wealthy executives at home and abroad.
“But the world is moving on. To tackle climate change, the impacts of which are worsening year on year, we need to halt the expansion of fossil fuels across the globe, including here in the UK.
“The UK Government must recognise attempts to derail our progress early on, and remain steadfast in its commitment to make the UK a clean energy superpower."
