Overview
- Interior is weighing an announcement as soon as this week, according to people briefed on the unconfirmed draft plan.
- The draft envisions six offshore lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030, with proposed activity centered near Santa Barbara County.
- New leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is included, which President Trump has labeled the Gulf of America, drawing expected opposition from Florida Republicans wary of spill risks.
- Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking at the UN climate summit in Brazil, dismissed the idea as dead on arrival, while the Interior Department and the White House did not comment.
- California’s coast has seen little development since the 1969 Santa Barbara spill, and analysts note industry interest may favor Gulf areas with existing infrastructure.