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Friday, Nov 21, 2025
Outside the box.
Trump Administration Unveils Plan to Open U.S. Waters off California and Florida to Offshore Oil Drilling
New federal leasing schedule would mark first major offshore drilling auctions for coastlines long closed to fossil-fuel development
The administration of President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping proposal to open federal offshore waters—previously off-limits—to new oil and gas leasing along the California and Florida coasts, as well as in Alaska, signalling a major shift in U.S. energy policy.
Under the draft five-year leasing programme, the U.S. Department of the Interior plans to hold up to six lease sales off Southern California between 2027 and 2030, include new lease parcels in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (with a buffer off Florida), and stage more than twenty sales in Alaska—including in the High Arctic.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum described the initiative as vital to sustaining U.S. energy dominance, protecting jobs and maintaining the nation’s long-term supply of hydrocarbons—noting that domestic production remains a core component of strategic strength.
The plan comes amid broader efforts to reverse the fossil-fuel moratoria enacted under prior administrations and to expand America’s offshore production footprint.
The announcement immediately reignited political and legal tensions.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, attending the international climate talks in Brazil, labelled the proposal “dead on arrival,” while Florida officials—both Republican and Democratic—warned the eastern Gulf sales would imperil tourism and military training zones.
Earlier this month, the Interior Department removed the Atlantic coast from the plan following Republican resistance in that region, underscoring the delicate balance the administration is trying to strike.
Industry groups welcomed the potential access to new offshore acreage, especially where infrastructure exists, but analysts cautioned many of the parcels face significant regulatory, economic and logistical headwinds—particularly off California, where no new federal lease has been issued since the 1980s.
Environmental advocacy organisations swiftly pledged legal challenges, highlighting risks to marine ecosystems, coastal economies and climate objectives.
The formal draft leasing programme will be published for public comment before the schedule is finalised, which means actual drilling operations may be years away.
Meanwhile, the proposal already serves as a high-visibility declaration that the administration intends to place fossil-fuel development at the centre of its energy and economic strategy.
Under the draft five-year leasing programme, the U.S. Department of the Interior plans to hold up to six lease sales off Southern California between 2027 and 2030, include new lease parcels in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (with a buffer off Florida), and stage more than twenty sales in Alaska—including in the High Arctic.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum described the initiative as vital to sustaining U.S. energy dominance, protecting jobs and maintaining the nation’s long-term supply of hydrocarbons—noting that domestic production remains a core component of strategic strength.
The plan comes amid broader efforts to reverse the fossil-fuel moratoria enacted under prior administrations and to expand America’s offshore production footprint.
The announcement immediately reignited political and legal tensions.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, attending the international climate talks in Brazil, labelled the proposal “dead on arrival,” while Florida officials—both Republican and Democratic—warned the eastern Gulf sales would imperil tourism and military training zones.
Earlier this month, the Interior Department removed the Atlantic coast from the plan following Republican resistance in that region, underscoring the delicate balance the administration is trying to strike.
Industry groups welcomed the potential access to new offshore acreage, especially where infrastructure exists, but analysts cautioned many of the parcels face significant regulatory, economic and logistical headwinds—particularly off California, where no new federal lease has been issued since the 1980s.
Environmental advocacy organisations swiftly pledged legal challenges, highlighting risks to marine ecosystems, coastal economies and climate objectives.
The formal draft leasing programme will be published for public comment before the schedule is finalised, which means actual drilling operations may be years away.
Meanwhile, the proposal already serves as a high-visibility declaration that the administration intends to place fossil-fuel development at the centre of its energy and economic strategy.
