Overview
- The Interior Department’s draft 2026–2031 program outlines up to 34 offshore lease sales across roughly 1.27 billion acres, including six off California, new tracts in the rebranded Eastern Gulf “Gulf of America,” and extensive areas off Alaska.
- Florida Republicans including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody urge the administration to keep Trump’s 2020 moratorium in place, citing risks to the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range and the state’s tourism economy.
- California leaders from both parties condemn the proposal, with Gov. Gavin Newsom vowing to fight it and Rep. Mike Levin promoting legislation to block new leases off Southern California following a San Diego–area news conference.
- Oil and gas trade groups welcome expanded access and potential revenue, but analysts caution that roughly $60 oil, higher costs and limited infrastructure could temper near‑term industry interest in California and remote Alaska.
- The plan remains a draft under the BOEM process, with a 60‑day public comment period that began Nov. 24 and environmental organizations signaling legal challenges if the program advances.