Bloomberg: Trump plans to open almost all US coastal waters to oil production
Photo: Donald Trump / EPA

Administration of the President of the United States Donald Trump plans to open almost all of the country's coastal waters to new offshore drilling for oil production. About writes Bloomberg, citing documents from the US Department of the Interior.

The draft plan provides for the sale of licenses for oil production in the waters off the east and west coasts of the United States, around Alaska, and in the Gulf of Mexico (which Trump renamed the "American Gulf").

The drilling bans are likely to remain in only a few protected marine areas, particularly off Massachusetts and Hawaii.

If the document is approved, it will replace the program of the President's time Joe Bidenwhich provided for only three auctions for the sale of drilling rights from 2024 to 2029. The new program is designed for 2026-2031.

The U.S. government says the country is in an "energy emergency" and is considering all possibilities to increase fuel production.

Environmental organizations have criticized the initiative, saying it threatens marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Most coastal states also opposed it.

"President Trump is ignoring the bipartisan voices of communities, business leaders, and elected officials across the country who oppose offshore drilling expansion," said Joseph Gordon, a spokesman for the environmental organization Oceana.

The idea of allowing drilling off all US coasts is not new – Trump already proposed it during his first term, but backed down under pressure from critics, especially from Florida, which feared damage to tourism.