The US government on Thursday announced plans to allow millions of square miles of oil and gas drilling in America’s coastal waters, a move that could lead to a massive expansion of fossil fuel extraction. The plan underscores the growing gap between the United States, which abandoned COP30 in Brazil, and much of the rest of the world seeking to limit the impacts of climate change.
The project plans to open 34 drilling concessions in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico – which Donald Trump calls the Gulf of America –, off the coast of California and along the northern coast of Alaska, in virgin territory that has never been drilled before. In total, more than 500 million hectares of land are accessible to the oil and gas industry, equivalent to the size of the Amazon.
With this plan, “We ensure that America’s overseas industries remain strong, our workers stay employed, and our country remains energy dominant for decades to come”praised the American Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, criticizing the previous Biden administration “limiting offshore oil and gas concessions”.
However, even under the Joe Biden administration, which set ambitious US climate goals and implemented drilling restrictions, US oil production reached historic highs.
“Protect our coastline”
Since returning to power, Donald Trump has often described climate change as a bad thing“trick”. He has methodically rolled back his predecessor’s environmental policies, withdrew from the Paris Agreement to limit global warming, and made clear that he wants to drill for hydrocarbons at all costs.
However, the project announced Thursday risks facing opposition, including from Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom, who immediately criticized the policy. “Trump’s stupid plan”. “Irresponsible attempts to sell our coastline to oil donors are doomed to failure”he assured in a press release, while his state has long banned new offshore drilling. “We will use every means at our disposal to protect our coastline”he promised.
Tourist countries bordering the Gulf of Mexico, still fond of memories of the giant oil spill caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in 2010, are also likely to object. Republican Senator from Florida Rick Scott, for example, expressed his opposition to X.
