Biden suspends new oil and gas leases
The Biden administration announced Thursday the suspension of new oil and gas leasing and drilling permits for U.S. lands and waters, effective for 60 days, as officials moved quickly to reverse Trump administration policies on energy and the environment.
The suspension, part of a broad review of programs at the Interior Department, went into effect immediately under an order signed Wednesday by acting Interior Secretary Scott de la Vega. It follows President Biden’s campaign pledge to halt new drilling on federal lands and end the leasing of publicly owned energy reserves to help address climate change.
Under President Trump, federal agencies prioritized energy development and eased environmental rules to speed up drilling permits as part of the Republican’s goal to end reliance on foreign energy supplies and boost domestic production. Trump consistently downplayed the dangers of climate change, which Biden has made a top priority.
The order did not limit existing oil and gas operations under valid leases, meaning activity won’t come to a sudden halt on the millions of acres of lands in the West and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico where drilling is concentrated. Its effect could be further blunted by companies that stockpiled enough drilling permits in Trump’s final months to allow them to keep pumping oil and gas for years.
The order also applies to coal mining and blocks the approval of new mining plans. Land sales or exchanges and the hiring of senior-level staff at the agency also were suspended.
The order includes an exception that gives a small number of senior Interior officials authority to approve actions that are otherwise suspended. Those officials include the agency secretary, deputy secretary, solicitor and several assistant secretaries.
Biden’s move could be the first step toward an eventual goal to ban all leases and permits to drill on federal land. Mineral leasing laws state that federal lands are for many uses, including extracting oil and gas, but the Democrat could set out to rewrite those laws, said Kevin Book, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners.
The administration’s announcement drew a quick backlash from Republicans and oil industry trade groups. They said limiting access to publicly owned energy resources would mean more foreign oil imports, lost jobs and lower tax revenues.
“Impeding American energy will only serve to hurt local communities and hamper America’s economic recovery,” American Petroleum Institute President Mike Sommers said in a statement.
National Wildlife Federation Vice President Tracy Stone-Manning welcomed the move, saying she expected Biden to make good on his promise to end leasing altogether, or at least impose a long-term moratorium on any new issuances.