A federal judge in Louisiana has ruled that the Biden administration overstepped its authority by indefinitely blocking new oil and gas drilling across vast portions of U.S. coastal waters.
Judge James Cain Jr. ruled Thursday that former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama exceeded their powers when they sought to permanently shield offshore areas from energy development.
Cain wrote that their orders "constituted a departure from the executive branch's longstanding practice and exceeded the authority granted" under federal law.
Biden issued the executive order on "Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad" on Jan. 27, 2021, shortly after taking office, expanding on protections created under the Obama administration.
The measure barred new leasing across 625 million acres, including the entire East Coast, the waters off California, Oregon, and Washington state, large parts of Alaska's coast, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico — now referred to as the Gulf of America.
At the time, the White House framed the move as a cornerstone of its climate agenda, aimed at slowing the development of fossil fuels while steering the U.S. toward renewable energy sources.
Biden's Interior Department highlighted the policy as a safeguard against oil spills and a step toward reducing emissions linked to offshore production.
The restrictions did not affect the central and western Gulf of Mexico, which remains the hub of U.S. offshore drilling and accounts for the vast majority of domestic offshore oil and gas output. Still, industry groups saw the sweeping moratorium as a threat to long-term supply and energy security.
Although the Trump administration has since moved to lift the Biden-era ban, minimizing the immediate effect of Cain's decision, the ruling was welcomed by oil and gas supporters as a rebuke of Biden's climate-first approach.
"We welcome the court's decision to vacate this politically motivated decision and ensure our nation's vast offshore resources remain a critical source of affordable energy, government revenue, and stability around the world," said Ryan Meyers, senior vice president and general counsel at the American Petroleum Institute, in a written statement.
Environmental groups have defended the Biden order, saying expanded drilling would endanger marine ecosystems and set back progress in addressing climate change.
Advocates of offshore drilling argue that keeping these reserves open supports jobs, bolsters national security, and provides revenue to federal and state governments.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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