An oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico in December 2020 (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Archives/TOM PENNINGTON)
The American government of Joe Biden announced on Friday the upcoming issue of new oil and gas exploitation licenses in the Gulf of Mexico, to the great dismay of environmental associations.
The Democratic president is thus breaking, once again, his campaign promise in favor of the climate not to authorize new drilling for fossil fuels on federal lands.
The decision announced Friday is also strongly criticized by the hydrocarbon industry, because it concerns three drilling licenses for the period 2025-2029, a much smaller number than the 47 planned for this period under President Donald Trump.
According to the Department of the Interior, which manages federal lands, the state is required by law to open hydrocarbon exploitation permits in order to authorize more wind projects.
This law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), constitutes the major investment desired by President Joe Biden in the energy transition and the climate, but he had not succeeded in the summer of 2022 in winning a majority in Congress on this text. only with a compromise including this provision favoring fossil fuels.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building a clean energy future that ensures America’s energy independence,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
The document validated on Friday, “which represents the lowest number of sales of gas and oil exploitation licenses in History (in this context), allows the ministry to support the growing wind industry,” adds the press release. .
– “Disappointing” decision –
But these comments did not reassure environmental and climate defense associations.
“This decision is more than disappointing,” reacted Beth Lowell of the NGO Oceana, “at a time when Americans are facing the impacts of the climate crisis with more frequent and more intense fires, droughts, hurricanes and floods “.
“President Biden is unfortunately showing the whole world that it is okay to put polluters before real climate solutions,” she added.
“For years, experts have been warning us that any new production of fossil energy is incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C,” said Mattea Mrkusic, of the Evergreen Action association. “And this week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reaffirmed that this type of fossil fuel project is not necessary to meet energy demand,” said Mattea Mrkusic.
The American Petroleum Institute, the main American oil lobby, for its part criticized authorizations that were too “restricted”.
“As the country is beset by inflation, the Biden administration is choosing poor energy policies that add to the pain Americans are feeling at the pump,” said President Mike Sommers.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration banned any new gas or oil exploitation in a huge area of northern Alaska to respond to “the climate crisis”, five months after having approved a hydrocarbon project of ConocoPhillips in this same state, close to the Arctic.
The Democrat had put these operating licenses on hold at the start of his mandate, but according to experts, his room for maneuver was limited by the courts and decisions unfavorable to his climate policy from the Supreme Court.
© 2023 AFP
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