Staff Reports
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over its decision to limit offshore oil and natural gas leases. Oil prices are already rising, and the API’s challenge to the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program aims to oppose the administration’s restrictive actions. Ryan Meyers, the API’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel, criticized the administration for limiting access to valuable energy resources in federal waters, which will put American consumers at risk of relying on foreign sources for energy needs. He emphasized the growing demand for affordable and reliable energy, and how the administration’s actions are not aligned with that.
The Interior Department is required to have a five-year plan that includes offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the plan was released almost 500 days late, and it includes the fewest lease sales in history. With only three potential leases planned for 2025, 2027, and 2029, 2024 will be the first year without an offshore lease sale since 1966. The API’s legal challenge argues that the decision is arbitrary, capricious, and not in accordance with law, and they are calling on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review the plan.
Oil Group Takes Legal Action Against Biden Administration Over Unprecedented Drilling Restrictions https://t.co/MfC77GGVXB
— 🇺🇸 Raven 🐦⬛🪶 (@DrkRaven62) February 13, 2024
API President Mike Sommers previously criticized the plan for being a tactic to reduce energy production, weaken America’s energy dominance, and limit consumers’ access to affordable energy. The plan claims that less drilling is needed because the administration’s focus on renewable energy, electrification, energy efficiency, and reduced consumption will meet America’s needs. However, the API’s lawsuit challenges the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach in meeting the country’s energy demands.
