US Interior Department proposes new five-year offshore leasing plan

The Department of the Interior has announced a Secretary’s Order titled “Unleashing American Offshore Energy,” directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to take the necessary steps, in accordance with federal law, to terminate the restrictive Biden 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

The goal is to replace the Biden plan with a new, expansive 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program by October 2026. As part of this directive, the Department is releasing the Secretary’s Draft Proposed Program for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. 

The Trump administration says that these actions reflect the Trump administration’s continued commitment to restoring American Energy Dominance by replacing what it calls “the smallest offshore leasing plan ever published by an administration with one that fully addresses the nation’s growing energy needs.”  

“Offshore oil and gas production does not happen overnight. It takes years of planning, investment, and hard work before barrels reach the market,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.” 

Under the new proposal for the 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, the Interior Department says that it is taking a major step towards boosting United States energy independence and sustaining domestic oil and gas production. 

The proposal includes as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas, covering approximately 1.27 billion acres. That includes 21 areas off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America, and six along the Pacific coast. The proposal also includes the Secretary’s decision to create a new administrative planning area, the South-Central Gulf of America. 

This newly proposed planning area has a 100-mile buffer off the coast of Florida, while no leases are proposed in the remaining Eastern planning area. 

The DOI says that this action implements Executive Order 14154 and supplements Secretary’s Order 3418, both titled “Unleashing American Energy.” The orders instruct all Interior Department bureaus and offices to accelerate responsible energy development consistent with federal law. 

Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Secretary of the Interior must prepare a national program that identifies the size, timing, and location of potential lease sales to best meet the country’s energy needs while considering economic, environmental, and social factors. 

The current proposal follows a public request for information and comment published in April 2025. The Department received more than 86,000 comments from stakeholders, states, industry representatives, and members of the public. Feedback from those comments informed the proposal now released.

Before the program and individual lease sales are finalized, the public will have multiple opportunities to provide input. The Department says that it is encouraging “broad participation” in the upcoming 60-day public comment period, which will begin when the proposal is published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2025. 

The DOI says that this announcement marks the first of three proposals that will be developed before final approval of the 2026–2031 program. The announcement also said that inclusion of a planning area in this proposal does not guarantee that it will be included in the final program or offered for lease. Each lease sale will undergo additional review, environmental analysis, and opportunities for public comment. 

The reaction from industry trade groups was uniformly favorable. 

“After years of delay in federal leasing, this is a historic step toward unleashing our nation’s vast offshore resources,” said American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers. “We applaud Secretary Burgum for laying the groundwork for a new and more expansive five-year program that unlocks opportunities for long-term investment offshore and supports energy affordability at a time of rising demand at home and abroad.”

Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President and CEO Edith Naegele issued this statement: “A robust Five-Year Plan is essential to U.S. national security needs as it reduces our dependence on foreign oil, ensures a stable domestic energy supply, and supports hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Independent oil and natural gas producers commend the Trump administration on its thoughtful first iteration of the national OCS oil and gas leasing program, commonly referred to as the Five-Year Plan. IPAA strongly supports broad inclusion of all OCS areas to ensure areas of high interest make it into the final plan. This will ensure a competitive bidding process among producers which ensures a good return to the American people via billions of dollars paid annually to the U.S. Treasury.” 

The Consumer Energy Alliance also applauded the release of the proposed OCS oil and gas leasing program. “The robust 34-sale schedule BOEM has produced is a return to the normal way presidential administrations have treated the Gulf – as an important resource to be managed with the rigor and consistency that fosters investment certainty,” said CEA Vice President Katie Hammons. “With expanded leasing areas, this five-year plan will help deliver the affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy American families and businesses depend on every day.”