Biden Administration Moves Forward with Controversial Oil and Gas Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, Despite Environmental Criticism

The Biden administration has auctioned off more than 73 million acres of waters in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling, just two weeks after allowing the controversial Willow oil drilling project in Alaska to move forward. The move has drawn criticism from environmentalists, who argue it contradicts President Biden’s campaign pledge to ban new fossil fuel development on public lands.

The auction could be the first Gulf of Mexico lease sale under the Biden administration that actually results in new drilling, after previous auctions were embroiled in legal challenges and delays. The sale was forced by Joe Manchin, who added it to the Inflation Reduction Act, the major climate and energy bill that President Joe Biden signed last year.

The lease sale will offer 73 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas development, with the highest bids expected to come from major oil companies like Chevron, Shell, and BP. The sale is expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue for the federal government.

Environmentalists have criticized the Biden administration for allowing the sale to go forward, arguing that it contradicts the president’s campaign pledge to ban new fossil fuel development on public lands. They argue that the sale will only exacerbate climate change and increase the risk of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Biden administration has defended the sale, arguing that it will help the U.S. transition to a clean energy economy. They argue that the revenue generated from the sale will be used to fund renewable energy projects and other green initiatives.