States Coordinate Action Against Offshore Drilling

Issue

In response to the Trump administration’s rollbacks to offshore drilling protections and proposals to open up more than 90% of the coastline to oil and gas exploration and construction, states actively worked to protect coastlines and prevent new exploration.

Action

NEC initially organized a sign-on letter with 225+ signatures from state legislators around the country in opposition to the Trump Administration’s rollback of offshore drilling restrictions.  From there, NEC mobilized legislators in coastal states through an innovative coastal caucus to strategize around blocking drilling and the building of fossil fuel infrastructure in state waters. To continue raising awareness around the expansion of offshore drilling and solutions to curtail it, NEC featured a session on offshore drilling at our 2018 National Forum and organized a press event in 2019 for legislators to announce their coordinated effort to pursue drilling bans. 

Outcome

• As of 2022,
  • 10 states have offshore drilling bans.
  • 50% of the country’s coastal population is protected from offshore drilling.