By Ginika Igboke
The Trump administration on Jan. 26 took its first formal step toward offering new offshore oil and gas drilling leases off California, inviting industry nominations for potential lease sales in federal waters along the state’s central and southern coasts.
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a call for information seeking industry input on possible lease areas, with auctions that could begin as early as 2027.
The move follows a November directive from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum titled “Unleashing American Offshore Energy,” which ordered the agency to dismantle the Biden administration’s 2024–2029 offshore leasing program and expand access to offshore energy resources.
“We’re taking the first step toward a stronger, more secure American energy future,” said Matt Giacona, acting director of BOEM. He said the calls would initiate a detailed review of two areas on the Outer Continental Shelf with significant resource potential, helping guide future decisions on leasing and development while supporting energy security, job creation, and reduced reliance on foreign energy, alongside commitments to environmental stewardship.
The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader energy agenda aimed at boosting domestic oil and gas production. While federal waters accounted for about 14 percent of U.S. oil production in 2024, Pacific offshore leases contributed just 0.1 percent.
No new offshore drilling leases in the Pacific have been auctioned since 1984, a shift that followed the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, which released more than 4 million gallons of oil and helped spur modern environmental regulations.
The proposal is part of a draft five-year offshore leasing plan released in November 2025, which outlines up to 34 lease sales covering roughly 1.27 billion acres nationwide. The plan includes up to six potential lease sales off California’s Pacific coast between 2027 and 2030, reversing Biden-era restrictions and marking a significant departure from decades of federal drilling policy near the state.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom sharply criticized the proposal in a Jan. 23 joint letter with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson.
“If offshore drilling is too dangerous for Mar-a-Lago, it’s too dangerous for working families on our coasts,” Newsom wrote, arguing that spills could devastate wildlife, coastal communities, and key industries such as fishing, shipping, and tourism. He said the states would use every legal option available to block the plan.
Industry groups, however, welcomed the move. The American Petroleum Institute, joined by more than 80 other organizations, praised the proposal as a step toward strengthening U.S. energy leadership.
“Expanding leasing, exploration, and development of U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources can drive economic growth and energy production,” the coalition said, noting that the plan includes regions with relatively low carbon intensity, proximity to existing infrastructure, and both established and frontier production areas.