The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping proposal that would allow oil and gas drilling across most U.S. coastal waters, including regions that have long been off-limits to energy exploration.
According to Bloomberg, the Interior Department has drafted a new five-year offshore leasing plan that would expand access to parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Alaska’s coast, and the Gulf of Mexico. If implemented, the proposal would replace the current Biden-era schedule, which limits offshore lease auctions to just three through 2029.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is reportedly evaluating potential drilling sites along both the East and West coasts, as well as in Alaska and the Gulf. The plan even includes sections of the southeastern U.S. coastline that former President Donald Trump once vowed to protect during his 2020 campaign, citing the potential risk of oil spills to beaches and tourism.
Officials have framed the move as part of a broader push to strengthen national energy security amid what they describe as an “energy emergency.” A spokesperson for the Interior Department did not comment directly on the draft but emphasized that “all options are being considered” to boost domestic production and maintain the country’s strategic advantage.
While the plan would maintain protections for designated marine monuments—such as the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts area off Massachusetts and Hawaii’s Papahānaumokuākea reserve—it signals the administration’s intent to open vast new territories to oil exploration.
Industry leaders have expressed strong interest in the proposal, especially in the Atlantic and Pacific regions, where drilling has been largely restricted for decades. Environmental groups, however, are expected to challenge the plan, warning that expanded offshore activity could threaten fragile marine ecosystems and increase the risk of spills.
If approved, the initiative would mark one of the largest expansions of offshore drilling in U.S. history, reshaping the country’s energy landscape for years to come.
