Reverse course in the GoM

The Obama administration has banned offshore drilling in the Arctic setting a potential collision with President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed to “unleash” new energy production in the U.S. The Interior Department’s move is part of a new five-year plan for energy development in federal waters, and would temporary halt exploration in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the Alaskan coast. Additionally, the department dropped plans to allow companies to drill for oil and natural gas in the Atlantic Ocean off of four southern states. The Interior Department’s final plan, which would dictate offshore drilling through 2022, offers 11 potential leases for sale off the nation’s coasts. Ten of those are in the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: Washington Post 11/18/16)