Biden imposes a comprehensive ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in 625 million acres of federal waters prior to the transition of the Trump administration.

On Monday, President Biden declared an 11th-hour executive order prohibiting new drilling and oil and natural gas exploration on over 625 million acres of U.S. coastal and offshore waters.

Biden, whose term is about to end in two weeks, is employing his authority to safeguard offshore regions along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing. By invoking the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Biden is limiting President-elect Trump's ability to reverse the action. Congress may need to intervene to grant Trump the authority to put federal waters back into development.

"Biden stated that drilling off the coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we cherish and is not necessary to meet our energy needs. He emphasized that the risks are not worth it, especially as the climate crisis threatens communities and we transition to a clean energy economy. It is crucial to protect these coasts for future generations."

Karoline Leavitt, Trump's incoming White House press secretary, swiftly criticized the move.

"Joe Biden's decision to halt drilling and raise gas prices is a disgraceful move aimed at exacting political revenge on the American people who voted for President Trump to increase drilling and lower gas prices. Rest assured, this decision will fail, and we will continue to drill, baby, drill," Leavitt wrote on X.

Biden self-patted for what he deemed a legacy move in the battle against climate change.

"Biden stated that he has been committed to conserving America's lands and waters since the beginning of his presidency. Over the past four years, he has achieved more than 670 million acres of conservation, surpassing any other president in history. Biden emphasized that the country's conservation and restoration progress has been led locally by tribes, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Through the 'America the Beautiful' initiative, the United States is on track to meet Biden's ambitious goal of conserving at least 30 percent of its lands and waters by 2030."

"Protecting America's coasts and ocean is not a choice between the environment and the economy, or between the health of our ocean, resilient coastlines, and secure food production. It is the right thing to do for the long-term prosperity of communities and the economy."

The Independent Petroleum Association of America Offshore Committee chairman, Ron Neal, criticized Biden's offshore drilling ban as "significant and catastrophic."

"The ban on offshore drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and adjoining coastal areas represents a major attack on the oil and natural gas industry, according to Neal, President of Houston Energy LP and CEO of HEQ Deepwater. This move is a first step towards more extensive restrictions across the industry in all U.S. basins, including onshore. If the activists come for anything, they are coming for everything. The policy is catastrophic for the development of new areas for oil and natural gas, but the environmentalists will eventually look to also shut down offshore wind farms for most of the same reasons. President Biden and his allies continue to push anti-energy policies that will hurt Americans."

Trump vowed to achieve global "energy dominance" through increased U.S. oil and gas drilling during his 2024 campaign, in contrast to Biden's focus on climate change initiatives.