NJ breathes a sigh of relief at Trump’s offshore drilling plan

🌊 Rep. Frank Pallone hails a win as Trump’s 2026–2031 drilling plan excludes the Atlantic Ocean.

⛽ Despite the NJ victory, the administration is pushing to drill off California, Florida, and Alaska.

🌱 Environmentalists warn of major risks to coastal ecosystems and economies in states still targeted

New Jersey’s coastline is staying off-limits to offshore drilling in carve-out from a new plan by the Trump administration to expand oil exploration in federal waters.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. 6th District, the state’s longest-serving member of Congress and the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said Thursday that New Jerseyans “can breathe a sigh of relief” after the Atlantic Ocean was left out of the administration’s 2026–2031 offshore leasing blueprint.

The move comes just weeks after Pallone rallied more than 100 House Democrats to press the White House to drop the Atlantic from consideration, warning that drilling posed a direct threat to the Jersey Shore’s economy and marine life.

But while New Jersey was spared, the administration is pushing ahead with drilling off California, Alaska and—most explosively—the coast of Florida.

Trump expands drilling elsewhere as part of ‘energy dominance’ push

The plan unveiled Thursday marks the first time in decades that new oil exploration would be allowed off California and Florida. The proposal includes:

— Six lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030

— New drilling areas more than 100 miles off Florida’s coast

— More than 20 lease sales in Alaska, including a newly designated High Arctic zone

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the expansion is designed to keep America “energy dominant for decades to come.”

The plan is part of President Trump’s broader effort to roll back climate policies in his second term. He has cut off funding for renewable energy programs, attacked offshore wind, and created a National Energy Dominance Council to accelerate drilling, coal and natural gas projects.

Political flashpoints on both coasts

California Democrats blasted the proposal before it was even released. Gov. Gavin Newsom called the idea “dead on arrival,” warning that new drilling threatens “economic stability” and the environment.

Florida officials — including Republican Sen. Rick Scott — also raised objections, citing the state’s tourism-driven economy and decades of bipartisan resistance to offshore rigs.

Backed by industry groups, the American Petroleum Institute called the plan a “historic step” toward tapping vast offshore reserves.

Environmental groups warn of ‘oil spill nightmare’

Environmental advocates said the plan reignites fears of catastrophic spills that have shaped state policies for decades. Joseph Gordon of Oceana described the proposal as “an oil spill nightmare,” saying coastal communities “depend on healthy oceans for economic security and their cherished way of life.”

Lawmakers from California and other coastal states said that even one major spill carries billions in cleanup costs and long-term damage to ecosystems and local economies.

Pallone: New Jersey fight isn’t over

While celebrating the Atlantic’s exclusion, Pallone warned that other states now face the same risks New Jersey fought to avoid.

New Jersey’s coastal economy and marine life cannot be put at risk by seismic blasting or the threat of a single spill,” Pallone said. “And while the Atlantic was spared, communities in California and along the Florida Gulf still face unacceptable risks. Their concerns must be heard.”
The administration’s draft plan will undergo a public comment period before becoming final.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.