Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy

This executive order directs federal agencies to expand offshore oil and gas leasing in multiple ocean regions, streamline permitting for seismic surveys, review and potentially weaken recent offshore drilling safety and environmental regulations, and modify previous presidential withdrawals of Outer Continental Shelf areas from leasing. It also requires accounting for energy resource potential before designating new marine sanctuaries and reviews recent marine monument designations.

Federal Register Open PDF 82 FR 20815

Impact dates

Oct 25, 2017
Secretary of Commerce to report marine sanctuary and monument review results to OMB, CEQ, and economic policy advisor
Jun 27, 2017
Secretary of Interior to provide energy/mineral resource accounting upon sanctuary designation notification

Key directives

Revoke EO 13754 (Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience)
Revise OCS lease sale schedule to include annual sales in Western/Central Gulf of Mexico, Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic
Develop streamlined permitting for private seismic data collection
Require energy/mineral resource accounting before marine sanctuary designations or expansions
Review all marine sanctuary and monument designations/expansions from prior 10 years
Review and potentially modify BOEM Notice to Lessees 2016-N01 and financial assurance policy
Review and propose revisions to BSEE Well Control Rule (Blowout Preventer Systems)
Review and consider revising/withdrawing BOEM offshore air quality rule
Expedite incidental take authorizations and seismic survey permits
Review and potentially rescind/revise NOAA marine mammal acoustic guidance (NMFS-OPR-55)
Review and potentially suspend/revise/rescind Arctic offshore drilling rule
Modify prior OCS withdrawal memoranda (2008, 2015, 2016) to remove expiration dates except for marine sanctuary areas

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Revocation of Executive Order 13754 (Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience)
Direction to review Arctic drilling rule, well control rule, air quality rule, and financial assurance policies
Direction to expedite seismic survey and incidental take authorizations

Near term (90d)

Secretary of Interior to provide energy resource accounting within 60 days of receiving sanctuary designation notifications
Secretary of Commerce to report results of marine sanctuary/monument review within 180 days

Long term

Potential revision of 2017-2022 offshore leasing schedule to include annual sales in expanded areas
Possible suspension, revision, or rescission of multiple Obama-era offshore drilling safety and environmental rules
Modified withdrawal language for prior OCS leasing withdrawals with no specific expiration date

Risks & tensions

Potential conflict with coastal state opposition to offshore drilling (e.g., Atlantic coast states)
Weakening of well control and Arctic drilling rules may increase spill risk—tension between 'minimizing regulatory burdens' and 'safe and environmentally responsible' policy language
Expedited seismic permits and potential weakening of marine mammal protections may violate Marine Mammal Protection Act or trigger litigation
Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic lease sales face strong political and legal headwinds regardless of schedule revision
Modified withdrawal language preserves marine sanctuary protections but removes time limits on other withdrawn areas—legal durability of this modification uncertain
'As appropriate and consistent with applicable law' qualifiers throughout create implementation uncertainty