The U.S. federal government on Thursday announced plans to allow oil and gas drilling off the coast of California and Florida for the first time in decades, prompting a strong reaction from California\u2019s governor, who called the plan \u201cidiotic\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Department of the Interior yesterday announced<\/a> an order signed by Secretary Doug Burgum titled Unleashing American Offshore Energy, which would roll back limits introduced during the previous administration and open up more offshore areas for oil and gas exploration.<\/p>\n \u201cOffshore oil and gas production does not happen overnight. It takes years of planning, investment, and hard work before barrels reach the market,\u201d Secretary Burgum said. \u201cBy moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America\u2019s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n California\u2019s Gavin Newsom disagrees. \u201cTrump\u2019s idiotic plan endangers our coastal economy and communities and hurts the well-being of Californians,\u201d he said in an official statement<\/a>. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor decades, California has stood firm in our opposition to new offshore drilling, and nothing will change that,\u201d the California governor said, even as earlier this year he signaled his government was ready to make certain concessions for Big Oil to keep at least some of its refineries operating and maintain a cap on gas prices.<\/p>\n