Sponsors (20)
The bill protects Central California's coastline, marine life, and lowers the risk of costly offshore accidents, at the trade-off of foregoing local oil-and-gas development, associated jobs, and some potential lease revenue with small possible effects on regional energy supply and prices.
Residents and coastal communities in Central California: preserves coastal environments, reduces the risk of oil spills, and protects marine life and fisheries that local economies and recreation depend on.
Taxpayers and federal budgeting: lowers the chance of expensive federal cleanup and emergency-response costs by preventing offshore drilling and associated accident risk in the region.
Energy-sector workers, construction workers, and small-business owners: lose potential jobs and local economic activity that would have come from prospective offshore oil and gas projects.
State and local governments and taxpayers: forgo federal lease revenues and other local economic benefits tied to leasing activity in the offshore area.
Middle-class families and taxpayers: may face slightly higher regional fuel prices or increased reliance on other supply sources if local fossil fuel production capacity is constrained.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars the Department of the Interior from issuing any new offshore oil or gas leases in the Central California Planning Area.
Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from issuing any new offshore oil or gas lease for exploration, development, or production anywhere within the Central California Planning Area. One additional provision establishes a short title for the Act. The bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to create an absolute restriction on issuing new leases in the specified Central California area, without providing funding or altering existing federal budgeting or tax law.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by James Varni Panetta · Last progress April 10, 2025