Push to drill off state's coastline

Trump may want to open federal waters, but oil firms may balk at California's rules.

- HAYLEY SMITH

OIL PLATFORMS off Santa Barbara have shut down because of local opposition and tough state rules.

AL SEIB Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration reportedly has plans to open the waters off California's coast to new oil and gas drilling for the first time in four decades, drawing swift condemnation from Gov. Gavin Newsom, lawmakers and environmental groups that say it would be disastrous for the state's environment, economy and clean energy targets.

Whether energy companies would be interested in such leases is another question. Experts say the resources are limited and oil majors may not clamor for leases that could ensnare them in the Golden State's stringent environmental policies.

Trump has focused heavily on increasing fossil fuel production in the United States, yet some say offering the opportunity to drill in the Pacific is more likely a political move from an administration that has repeatedly targeted California’s green ambitions.

Details of the administration’s plan are still emerging, but maps from the Bureau of Ocean Energy identify four West Coast planning areas, three off the coast of California and one off Oregon and Washington.

The administration is planning to propose up to six offshore lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030, according to internal documents first reported by the Washington Post.

Officials with the U.S. Interior Department declined to comment, citing the federal government shutdown. Last month, the administration also announced plans to open the entire 1.5-million-acre coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas leasing, which Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said would create jobs and strengthen U.S. energy independence.