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Biden Administration Offers Fewest Offshore Oil and Gas Leases in History [1]

['Lisa Friedman', 'More About Lisa Friedman']

Date: 2023-09-29

The Biden administration announced Friday it would lease a handful of spots in the Gulf of Mexico to oil companies for drilling over the next five years, a move that angered Republicans, the fossil fuel industry and climate activists alike.

The administration said oil and gas companies would be able to drill in just three new areas in the Gulf between 2024 and 2029, the smallest number of lease sales offered since the federal drilling program began decades ago.

Under a new law, the government must offer leases for oil drilling before it can invite developers to build wind farms in federal waters. Producing clean electricity from wind turbines is one of President Biden’s top priorities as he tries to reduce the fossil fuel pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.

Deb Haaland, the Interior Department secretary, said in a statement that the plan “sets a course for the department to support the growing offshore wind industry and protect against the potential for environmental damage and adverse impacts to coastal communities.”

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[1] Url: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/climate/biden-offshore-drilling-plan.html

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