It’s been a long time coming—more than 25 years of advocacy for me personally, and even longer for many others. Now, the fight to protect Florida from offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf has reached a historic milestone.
Before leaving office, President Joe Biden banned offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf and along the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the continental U.S. This landmark decision followed decades of relentless work by environmental advocates, business owners, and Floridians who cherish their beaches and marine ecosystems. The goal? To shield Florida from the destructive oil and gas industry that has polluted and damaged the central and western Gulf for generations.
The Battle for Florida’s Coast
The Biden Administration’s action created permanent protections for the eastern Gulf, building on a 10-year drilling moratorium previously issued by President Trump in 2020. Yet, the fight is far from over. On his first day back in office, Trump reversed Biden’s drilling ban through an executive order, setting the stage for legal challenges. (On February 19, 2025, Healthy Gulf joined the first major environmental lawsuit against the new Trump Administration Challenging Trump’s illegal order to revoke former President Biden’s withdrawal of vulnerable areas of the ocean from future oil-and-gas leasing.)
Under the Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Act (OCSLA), presidents can permanently withdraw federal waters from oil leasing, but they lack the authority to reverse a previous president’s withdrawal. A 2019 federal court ruling affirmed this when Trump attempted to overturn an Obama-era drilling ban in Alaska. The court confirmed that while presidents can protect waters from drilling, they cannot unilaterally open new areas for leasing. That power lies with Congress.
Given the 2019 court ruling, Trump’s move is expected to face litigation. Meanwhile, Congress could also intervene, with multiple bills already introduced to overturn the Biden Administration’s ban under the guise of “unleashing American energy.”
Defending Florida’s Coast in Washington, D.C.
In late January, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressional staff from Florida, alongside our allies at Oceana. Our message was clear: Florida’s waters must remain protected from offshore drilling. For decades, bipartisan opposition in Florida has recognized that oil drilling is fundamentally incompatible with the state’s economy, which thrives on tourism, fishing, and pristine coastlines. Yet, despite record-high fossil fuel production—much of which is exported—Big Oil continues to push for more and more drilling.
The Future: A Just Transition to Clean Energy
Our nation is undergoing a long-overdue transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, powered by the sun and wind. Clean energy is now cheaper and more sustainable than fossil fuels, and its share of the energy mix continues to grow. However, we must accelerate this transition to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Banning offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf is a major victory, but the fight is far from over. The central and western Gulf remains entrenched in the fossil fuel industry, despite the devastating costs—air and water pollution, coastal destruction, and public health crises. This imbalance underscores the need for a just transition—one that prioritizes environmental justice, economic equity, and the well-being of Gulf communities.
At Healthy Gulf, we are committed to ensuring that the Gulf’s future is built on clean energy, not fossil fuel extraction and the toxicity that comes with it. Through commitment and persistent advocacy, I believe we can keep the eastern gulf safe and clean for many generations to come—but we must remain vigilant. Now is the time to hold the line and push for a future where the entire Gulf thrives without oil.
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Christian Wagley works to protect water quality, create a healthy energy future, and improve coastal resilience in communities along the Florida panhandle and southeast Alabama.