###

The Trump administration today proposed opening nearly 1.3 billion acres of U.S. coastal waters to new offshore oil and gas leases. The plan includes opening federal waters off the California coast to drilling operations for the first time in four decades, along with a remote region off Alaska in the northern Arctic where drilling has never before taken place.

While the announcement was anticipated, it was met today with fierce condemnation by state and local representatives, including our local U.S. Congressman, Rep. Jared Huffman, who serves as ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. He described the Trump administration’s moves as part of “an all-out war on clean energy.” 

Congressional Democrats held a virtual press call this afternoon. You can watch the video of that event at the bottom of this post. 

Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom today addressed the move from the Cop 30 climate conference in Brazil, saying Tump’s offshore drilling proposal is “dead on arrival.” See below.

###

In a subsequent statement, Newsom said this:

Trump’s idiotic plan endangers our coastal economy and communities and hurts the well-being of Californians. This reckless attempt to sell out our coastline to his Big Oil donors is dead in the water. Californians remember the environmental and economic devastation of past oil spills. For decades, California has stood firm in our opposition to new offshore drilling, and nothing will change that. We will use every tool at our disposal to protect our coastline. It’s interesting that Donald’s proposal doesn’t include the waters off Mar-a-Lago.

###

Huffman and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla also issued a press release:

Washington, D.C. – Today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) condemned the Trump administration’s draft 2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which proposes opening vast swaths of previously protected federal waters, including along the California coast, all of Alaska’s offshore waters, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

“With this draft plan, Donald Trump and his Administration are trying to destroy one of the most valuable, most protected coastlines in the world and hand it over to the fossil fuel industry.

“They didn’t listen to Californians. They didn’t listen to communities up and down the West Coast. Instead, Trump wants to take a wrecking ball to our communities while trampling over anyone who stands between him and what billionaires demand.

“These lease areas are not only irreplaceable, but allowing drilling in these areas would undermine military readiness and pose risks to national security. But Trump doesn’t care. Californians remember every spill, every dead dolphin and sea otter, every fishing season wrecked by contamination. We built stronger, cleaner, more resilient coastal communities — and a burgeoning $1.7 trillion coastal economy — in spite of all that. And we’re not going to stand by and watch it get destroyed by Trump’s oil and gas pet projects.

“This plan targets California and the whole West Coast because they think we will roll over. They are wrong. We’re going to fight this with everything we have.”

Background

The Trump administration’s draft 2027 to 2032 Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing plan released on November 20 marks the most aggressive push in decades to open all of the California coast, nearly all of Alaska’s offshore waters, and vast stretches of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling, including areas long protected by moratoria and despite opposition from even Republican senators in Florida.

The proposal includes six lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030, the first attempt to drill in these waters in more than forty years. This move directly targets areas President Biden withdrew from future leasing in January 2025, when he protected 625 million acres in the Pacific, Atlantic, Eastern Gulf, and Arctic. Trump tried to wipe out those protections on his first day back in office, repeating the same maneuver a federal court rejected in 2017 when he attempted to undo President Obama’s Arctic and Atlantic withdrawals.

The draft plan also lands in the shadow of the Republican budget reconciliation law passed in July 2025, which mandated new lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, lowered offshore royalty rates, and expanded fossil fuel industry access without environmental review.

Here’s video from the press call:

###

###

And lastly, here’s the announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior:

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced a Secretary’s Order titled “Unleashing American Offshore Energy,” directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to take the necessary steps, in accordance with federal law, to terminate the restrictive Biden 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and replace it with a new, expansive 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program by October 2026. As part of this directive, the Department is releasing the Secretary’s Draft Proposed Program for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. 

These actions reflect the Trump administration’s continued commitment to restoring American Energy Dominance by replacing the smallest offshore leasing plan ever published by an administration with one that fully addresses the nation’s growing energy needs. 

“Offshore oil and gas production does not happen overnight. It takes years of planning, investment, and hard work before barrels reach the market,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “The Biden administration slammed the brakes on offshore oil and gas leasing and crippled the long-term pipeline of America’s offshore production. By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.” 

Under the new proposal for the 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Interior is taking a major step to boost United States energy independence and sustain domestic oil and gas production. The proposal includes as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas, covering approximately 1.27 billion acres. That includes 21 areas off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America, and six along the Pacific coast. The proposal also includes the Secretary’s decision to create a new administrative planning area, the South-Central Gulf of America. 

“Offshore oil and gas development requires long-term vision, steady policy, and the confidence for companies to invest in American energy. For years, that confidence was undercut by the Biden Administration’s failed leasing policies,” said Jarrod Agen, Executive Director of the National Energy Dominance Council. “By putting a real leasing plan back on track, we’re restoring energy security, protecting American jobs, and strengthening the nation’s ability to lead on energy for decades to come. 

This action implements Executive Order 14154 and supplements Secretary’s Order 3418, both titled “Unleashing American Energy.” The orders instruct all Interior Department bureaus and offices to accelerate responsible energy development consistent with federal law. By replacing the failed Biden-era plan with a robust and competitive offshore leasing program, the Department will open new opportunities for offshore investment and job creation, reinforce America’s role as a global energy leader, and help ensure a stable and secure energy supply well into the future. 

Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Secretary of the Interior must prepare a national program that identifies the size, timing, and location of potential lease sales to best meet the country’s energy needs while considering economic, environmental, and social factors. 

The current proposal follows a public request for information and comment published in April 2025. The Department received more than 86,000 comments from stakeholders, states, industry representatives, and members of the public. Feedback from those comments informed the proposal released today. 

Before the program and individual lease sales are finalized, the public will have multiple opportunities to provide input. The Department encourages broad participation in the upcoming 60-day public comment period, which will begin when the proposal is published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2025. 

As of September 1, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages 2,073 active offshore oil and gas leases covering about 11.2 million acres. Offshore production accounts for roughly 15 percent of the nation’s domestic oil output. The Outer Continental Shelf is estimated to contain about 68.8 billion barrels of oil and 229 trillion cubic feet of natural gas yet to be discovered. 

Today’s announcement marks the first of three proposals that will be developed before final approval of the 2026–2031 program. Inclusion of a planning area in this proposal does not guarantee that it will be included in the final program or offered for lease. Each lease sale will undergo additional review, environmental analysis, and opportunities for public comment. 

For more information and to view maps of the proposed areas, visit www.boem.gov/National-Program.