Trump's offshore oil bonanza
The administration has proposed a sweeping opening of America's waters to oil drilling. But politics and industry realities will rein in the ambitions
The Trump administration has rolled out its first five-year offshore lease plan, a highly ambitious programme that would open nearly every mile of America's coastline from California to Maine to Alaska to Florida to oil and gas drilling. It's a typically Trumpian opening gambit—flood the zone with an audacious initial proposal knowing the end result will get chopped down. The draft proposal, which covers the five years from 2019 to 2024, will now go through rounds of public hearings and negotiations with state and local politicians. The federal government has wide leeway to regulate waters more than 3 miles off the nation's coastline, but local authorities can make life difficult, if not imp
Also in this section
1 April 2025
There is method to the US president’s apparent madness, and those seeking to understand need look no further than their local bookshop
1 April 2025
Strong economic growth targets are encouraging for the country’s energy demand growth, even if meeting those goals might be a tall order
28 March 2025
The Central Asian country is positioning itself as a low-carbon leader, but antiquated infrastructure and a dependence on Russia are holding it back
28 March 2025
MCEDD 2025 took place in Madrid this week with record attendance and a wide-ranging programme, reflecting the deepwater sector’s renewed momentum, strategic focus and accelerating technological innovation.
