The administration of US President Joe Biden announced on Friday that it will grant permits for oil and gas extraction in the Gulf of Mexico, to the great dismay of environmental organizations.
In doing so, the Democratic president is again breaking a promise he made during his election campaign not to allow fossil fuel drilling on federal lands.
The decision announced on Friday was also heavily criticized by the oil and gas sector, because it allows fewer drilling operations than planned under former President Donald Trump.
The decision notes the possibility of issuing permits for three drilling areas, which is the “lowest” figure in the history of the sector, according to the Biden administration.
According to the interior ministry, which manages the federal lands, the state is legally obliged to open permits for the exploitation of hydrocarbons in order to be able to license more projects for the production of energy from wind.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building a future based on clean energies and ensuring America’s energy independence,”said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Earlier this year, the Joe Biden administration banned any new gas or oil exploitation in a vast area north of Alaska in response to the”climate crisis”, five months after it approved a hydrocarbon project in the same state near the North Pole.
