Overview
- Multiple outlets report the Interior Department is preparing to propose up to six lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030, alongside new leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and near Alaska.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, speaking at COP30 in Brazil, called the plan “dead on arrival” and indicated California would challenge it in court.
- The proposal would roll back Biden-era protections, following a Louisiana federal court ruling that undercut the prior offshore leasing moratorium.
- Industry interest in California blocks is uncertain due to high deepwater costs, limited nearby infrastructure, and state policies that constrain pipelines and other onshore support.
- No new federal leases have been issued off California since 1984, and environmental groups and some coastal Republicans warn new drilling could threaten tourism and marine ecosystems.