Several California leaders are criticizing President Trump’s newly released five-year offshore leasing plan, which includes two proposed lease sales off the Central Coast.The plan would open California and Florida waters to drilling for the first time in decades to expand U.S. oil production. It would replace the Biden administration’s 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program with the 11th program by October 2026.The proposal outlines up to 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas—about 1.27 billion acres—including 21 areas off Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America, and six along the Pacific coast.It also creates a new administrative planning area, the South-Central Gulf of America.As soon as the plans dropped, several California leaders opposed the decision, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who stated, “Time and again, President Trump has shown that his interest lies with his Big Oil friends profiting at the expense of our environment and public health. California takes our responsibility to steward our environment and natural resources seriously — we are not a rich man’s playground, and the President cannot come and extract resources as he pleases.”California Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Trump’s idiotic plan endangers our coastal economy and communities and hurts the well-being of Californians. This reckless attempt to sell out our coastline to his Big Oil donors is dead in the water. Californians remember the environmental and economic devastation of past oil spills. For decades, California has stood firm in our opposition to new offshore drilling, and nothing will change that. We will use every tool at our disposal to protect our coastline. It’s interesting that Donald’s proposal doesn’t include the waters off Mar-a-Lago.”Speaker of the California State Assembly Robert Rivas said, ” California is investing in an affordable and sustainable energy future, but Donald Trump is dragging the country backward with a dangerous plan that puts our coastline and local economies in jeopardy. Risking catastrophic oil spills isn’t an energy strategy; it’s a direct threat to the workers and businesses that depend on a healthy coast. Offshore oil drilling is the wrong answer for our energy future, and the wrong direction for California and the nation.”The Monterey Bay Aquarium stated it opposes President Trump’s decision. That a potential oil spill would threaten the coastline, wildlife, economy and health. “The science is clear,” said Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard. “We’re facing life-threatening impacts of climate change, and this ill-conceived effort to open massive parts of our ocean to offshore oil and gas leasing is a major step backward in the nation’s urgently needed transition away from fossil fuels.” Assemblymember Dawn Addis said, “Today’s announcement by the Trump Administration to open up offshore oil leases moves us decades into the past,” said Addis “Doing so will ravage our most precious resources and the health of our communities. California is cutting emissions while growing our economy as we lead into the future. It’s time for the federal administration to work with, not against, our great state. I have always fought to protect our coast and advance our clean-energy future, and I will continue to work towards removing California from this proposal.”On Thursday, congressional Democrats held a press call opposing the plan, including local Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Reps. Jared Huffman, Salud Carbajal, Mike Levin, Luz Rivas, and Sen. Alex Padilla.
SALINAS, Calif. —
Several California leaders are criticizing President Trump’s newly released five-year offshore leasing plan, which includes two proposed lease sales off the Central Coast.
The plan would open California and Florida waters to drilling for the first time in decades to expand U.S. oil production.
It would replace the Biden administration’s 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program with the 11th program by October 2026.
The proposal outlines up to 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas—about 1.27 billion acres—including 21 areas off Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America, and six along the Pacific coast.
It also creates a new administrative planning area, the South-Central Gulf of America.
As soon as the plans dropped, several California leaders opposed the decision, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who stated, “Time and again, President Trump has shown that his interest lies with his Big Oil friends profiting at the expense of our environment and public health. California takes our responsibility to steward our environment and natural resources seriously — we are not a rich man’s playground, and the President cannot come and extract resources as he pleases.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Trump’s idiotic plan endangers our coastal economy and communities and hurts the well-being of Californians. This reckless attempt to sell out our coastline to his Big Oil donors is dead in the water. Californians remember the environmental and economic devastation of past oil spills. For decades, California has stood firm in our opposition to new offshore drilling, and nothing will change that. We will use every tool at our disposal to protect our coastline. It’s interesting that Donald’s proposal doesn’t include the waters off Mar-a-Lago.”
Speaker of the California State Assembly Robert Rivas said, ” California is investing in an affordable and sustainable energy future, but Donald Trump is dragging the country backward with a dangerous plan that puts our coastline and local economies in jeopardy. Risking catastrophic oil spills isn’t an energy strategy; it’s a direct threat to the workers and businesses that depend on a healthy coast. Offshore oil drilling is the wrong answer for our energy future, and the wrong direction for California and the nation.”
The Monterey Bay Aquarium stated it opposes President Trump’s decision. That a potential oil spill would threaten the coastline, wildlife, economy and health.
“The science is clear,” said Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard. “We’re facing life-threatening impacts of climate change, and this ill-conceived effort to open massive parts of our ocean to offshore oil and gas leasing is a major step backward in the nation’s urgently needed transition away from fossil fuels.”
Assemblymember Dawn Addis said, “Today’s announcement by the Trump Administration to open up offshore oil leases moves us decades into the past,” said Addis “Doing so will ravage our most precious resources and the health of our communities. California is cutting emissions while growing our economy as we lead into the future. It’s time for the federal administration to work with, not against, our great state. I have always fought to protect our coast and advance our clean-energy future, and I will continue to work towards removing California from this proposal.”
On Thursday, congressional Democrats held a press call opposing the plan, including local Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Reps. Jared Huffman, Salud Carbajal, Mike Levin, Luz Rivas, and Sen. Alex Padilla.