US Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed an order Thursday that authorized a new oil and gas leasing program that incorporates areas of California and Alaska.

The Trump administration’s oil and gas leasing program, authorized by Burgum, replaces a Biden-era oil and gas leasing program. The former program “withdrew historically large areas of the Outer Continental Shelf from being considered for oil or natural gas leasing, including for exploration, development, and production.”

The proposal calls for “34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas, covering approximately 1.27 billion acres,” said Burgum in a press release. “This includes 21 areas off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico], 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.” 

Burgum is authorized to create the new Oil and Gas Drilling program under the Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Act. The act delegates authority to the secretary to “prepare and periodically revise and maintain an oil and gas leasing program” that includes specifications for timing, location, and size of the leasing activity. 

Additionally, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Section 50102, authorizes at least one lease sale by December 15, 2025. This one lease sale is out of expected lease sales under the bill to occur around the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America). There are six projected sales under the bill near Alaska, near the Cook Inlet Planning Area.

News outlets reported that the program marks the first time drilling will occur off the California coast in decades.