Secretary of the US Department of the Interior Deb Haaland testified to the Senate on May 19th, detailing the plan to get the Department of Interior's five-year plan off the ground.
In compliance with federal law, the Department of the Interior must release a new offshore leasing plan every five years, with the current offshore leasing plan set to expire on June 30th, according to the New York Times. But Haaland asserted to the Senate that the previous administration is responsible for the stalling of the five-year plan and claims the DOI will consult with the states, Tribes, and the public for the new plan.
“The previous Administration stopped work on the new five-year plan in 2018, so there has been a lot to do to catch up," said Secretary Haaland. "Varying, conflicting litigation has also been a factor. As we take this next step, we will follow the science and the law, as we always do. This requires a robust and transparent review process that includes input from states, the public, and Tribes to inform our decision-making. We take this responsibility seriously without any pre-judgment of the outcome."
Under the new proposed plan, the Biden administration plans to cancel leasing in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, a point of contention among lawmakers. Should the plan receive congressional approval, it is entirely possible that 2022 will be the first year since 1958 that no new offshore leases will be offered by the DOI, according to Holland & Knight.
Although a delay in the five-year plan has been forecasted for some time, a press release from the American Petroleum Institute on March 29th, 2022, reported that no new leases can be made until the DOI's five-year plan is approved and implemented, which could jeopardize American energy security, costing thousands of US jobs and billions in government revenue, according to API.
"The Biden Administration's announcement that they will cancel new offshore oil and gas production approaches levels of irresponsibility and reckless stupidity never seen before. We are paying record prices for gasoline and to heat and cool our homes," said Republican US Representative for the sixth district of Louisiana, Garret Graves. "This is the only administration in modern history to not issue lands and waters for oil and gas production. Not only is this illegal, but it is hurting families across the country". Graves notes after his press release, "approximately 18 percent of U.S. oil and four percent of U.S. gas comes from these offshore areas."
As of June 2nd, national gas prices have hit an average of $4.715 per gallon according to AAA, the highest national average ever recorded.
