Biden's Drilling Plan Sparks Backlash From Oil Producers, Environmentalists

President Biden’s Interior Department released a plan Friday to sell three offshore oil drilling leases over the next five years.

Key Quote: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland stated, “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building a clean energy future that ensures America’s energy independence. The Proposed Program, which represents the smallest number of oil and gas lease sales in history, sets a course for the Department to support the growing offshore wind industry and protect against the potential for environmental damage and adverse impacts to coastal communities.”

Details: This proposal, once finalized, will result in the lowest number of new offshore lease sales over a five-year period. Historically, these congressionally mandated five-year leasing plans have ranged from as low as 11 sales to as high as 41 sales, according to Reuters (Center bias).

How the Media Covered It: Coverage across the spectrum highlighted backlash against the program from a diverse array of voices, with different outlets emphasizing backlash from different groups. HuffPost’s (Left bias) coverage began with backlash from environmental groups, who believe Biden is breaking his 2020 campaign promise to “take on the fossil fuel industry” by approving additional drilling. Fox News’ (Right bias) coverage began with backlash from American energy producers angry that Biden is “limiting U.S. energy production opportunities.” Reuters highlighted how the backlash “reflects the difficulty Biden's White House has had” in its efforts to “balance national energy security with the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change.”