In yet another disappointing but unsurprising move, the Trump administration has announced a five year plan to increase offshore drilling. The plan has already seen backlash from numerous state leaders, according to New York Daily News.
The draft of the five-year leasing plan proposes 90 percent of the nation's offshore reserves to be leased, with a projected 45 lease sales between 2019 and 2024. "This is a start on looking at American Energy dominance and looking at our offshore assets and beginning a dialogue of when, how, where and how fast those offshore assets could be or should be developed," explained interior secretary Ryan Zinke in a conference call. "Nobody is better at producing clean, quality, responsible energy than the U.S.. Clean, reliable, abundant and affordable energy is what's driving our economy."
Florida Republican governor Rick Scott has already criticized the plan, saying that it's something he's against. He has suggested he sits down with Zinke in the future to "discuss the concerns I have with this plan." Of course, Zinke also explained that the plan is still in the early stages, and state and congressional leaders will have their input on it before it's finalized. He does, however, insist that expanding domestic fossil fuel production is the right move going forward, stressing how it'll create more jobs and produce more money.
As climate change increasingly threatens the planet, this seems like the opposite of what needs to be invested in. Renewable energy is becoming more affordable, but still has some way to go, needing as much development as it can get. But hey, when has the Trump administration made the right move?
