Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Friday unveiled the planning process for new offshore oil and gas leasing through a program that will have wide implications for the energy industry and marine life.
Federal law requires the Interior Department to plan oil and gas leases in five-year increments for the outer continental shelf (OCS), a massive swath of ocean around the U.S. coastline.
Lease plans for the OCS set a ceiling for the number of lease sales that can be held during each planning period — absent congressional action — and thus are closely watched by industry and environmental groups.
The current lease plan — approved under the Biden administration — extends through 2029. The coming plan, which could adjust that date, may also potentially include lease sales for a new region of the Arctic off the coast of Alaska.
