Staff Reports
President Joe Biden’s recent move to ban offshore oil and gas drilling on a staggering 670 million acres of the U.S. coastline might just be one of his last attempts to reach for the environmental glory that he so desperately craves. With only a couple of weeks left in his administration, Biden seems to be trying to leave behind a legacy that will be nothing more than a bad aftertaste for the oil and gas industry. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump is already warming up to throw a wrench into that plan, vowing to “un-ban” the ban as soon as he takes office, which certainly sounds more appealing than Biden’s so-called “climate crisis” measures.
The oil and gas industry, clearly feeling the heat from Biden’s last-minute legislation, wasted no time in voicing its displeasure. Tim Stewart from the U.S. Oil and Gas Association expressed that it’s not just a case of a party leaving office with a petulant temper tantrum. He described Biden’s actions as an example of “salt the earth” tactics typical of administration transitions, where the outgoing party takes a jackhammer to the policies and profits of the incoming administration. It appears to be less about climate and more about political sour grapes.
Trump vows to ‘un-ban’ Biden’s ‘ridiculous’ ban on offshore oil drilling, but that may prove hard https://t.co/4nuj8WxyhC
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) January 7, 2025
However, overturning this ban might not be a cakewalk for Trump. Unlike many of Biden’s impulsive decrees, this particular ban isn’t issued through an executive order, meaning Trump won’t be able to just wave a magic wand and make it disappear. Instead, Biden has cleverly hidden it behind the shield of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which allows him to cling tight to his so-called “environmental protection” policies. At the very least, it’s set Trump up with a legal fight that could drag on longer than a family dinner with relatives who just won’t stop talking about politics.
Biden’s stated goal for this ban is to protect the environment from perceived economic doom—that is, if one ignores the fact that the U.S. is sitting on a mountain of oil, eagerly waning to be exploited. This is merely a signal to environmental groups that the fight is far from over. So, what can Trump do? It appears that Congress is also in play here, as some Republicans, led by Senator Mike Lee, are eager to utilize their positions to push back against this anti-fossil fuel shunning, armed with every legislative tool they can muster.
Ultimately, it’s amusing that despite Biden’s grand show of power, industry experts suggest his ban will end up being more symbolic than practically damaging. The reality is that offshore drilling, like most of America’s energy production, is a behemoth requiring time and investment. Trump could very well have the last laugh, quickly rolling back Biden’s move before any real damage can be done. The endless legal conflicts to follow may ultimately become a colossal waste of time for environmental groups, leaving Trump free to thrive in an energy economy that has been curbed by the Democrats’ overzealous regulatory ambitions. It seems that regardless of the checks and balances in place, the specter of oil and gas will not be easily banished from American soil.
