(Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will move quickly to revoke an offshore oil and gas drilling ban announced by outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden.
“Banning offshore drilling will not stand. I will reverse it immediately,” Trump said at a news conference. He added: “I will revoke the offshore oil, gas drilling ban in vast areas on day one.”
Republican Trump takes office on Jan. 20, but could find it difficult to reverse Biden’s order to withdraw 625 million acres (253 million hectares) of ocean from new offshore oil and gas development.
The 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act allows presidents to remove areas from mineral leasing and drilling but does not grant them the legal authority to overturn prior bans, according to a 2019 court ruling – meaning a reversal would likely require an act of Congress.
Trump said he would take the matter to court if necessary.
Trump also said his administration would open up oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and would seek to block new wind projects.
“We’re going to try and have a policy where no windmills are being built,” Trump said.
(Reporting by Tim Reid and Nichola Groom, Editing by Franklin Paul and Nia Williams)
