Overview
- The Interior Department’s Nov. 20 draft proposes up to 34 offshore lease sales covering more than 1.2 billion acres of federal waters.
- The plan targets areas off California, Alaska and the Gulf, including waters near Florida, marking a sharp reversal from recent restrictions.
- California officials and environmental groups say they will sue to block the program, with Gov. Gavin Newsom declaring new drilling off the state "dead on arrival."
- Oil and gas trade groups back the proposal for energy and revenue gains, yet analysts caution that $60 oil, tariffs and sparse infrastructure could limit near-term activity.
- Florida Republicans Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis oppose drilling near the state, and a leaked draft described six California lease sales between 2027 and 2030.