OP/ED: When it Comes to Offshore Energy, Be Careful What You Wish For

You just might get it.

In the waning days of the Biden administration, the executive orders and such that get announced seemingly on a daily basis signal countless victories for that side of the equation. And, no matter which side of that great divide that you reside on, it is likely that some of those edicts will be quickly reversed by the incoming President. Of course, much of this is likely irreversible. No where is that more apparent than Biden's order to withdraw 625 million acres of ocean from new offshore oil and gas development.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is on record as saying that he will quickly revoke the offshore oil and gas drilling ban, but I’m told that this will be easier said, than done. That’s [apparently] because the 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act allows presidents to remove areas from mineral leasing and drilling but does not grant them the legal authority to overturn prior bans. A 2019 court ruling signals that a reversal would likely require an act of Congress. If so, the slim GOP majorities in both the House and Senate might make that possible, but certainly not a slam dunk certainty. After all, Republicans have