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Will Biden's oil ban have much impact?
As he prepares to hit the exit, President Joe Biden isn't quite going out quietly.
Just days after presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Democratic donor George Soros and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, he announced Monday he was blocking the sale of new oil and gas drilling leases across 625 million acres of ocean, a counter to President-elect Donald Trump who has consistently pledged to "drill baby drill."
The move protects offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and portions of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing.
Biden's move doesn't include any of the waters in the western Gulf of Mexico near Texas and Louisiana where most of the nation's offshore drilling is happening. Still, as you likely guessed, the move drew immediate condemnation from the oil industry and the incoming administration.
"This is a disgraceful decision designed to exact political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices," said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. "Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail, and we will drill, baby, drill."
However, a closer look at Biden's move shows that it is largely a symbolic gesture. The oil industry hasn't exactly been clamoring to drill in the area Biden targeted on Monday. There has been almost no oil drilling off the coast of California in 50 years and there are no active oil and gas leases in federal waters in the Bering Sea or along the East Coast, where Biden is protecting some 334 million acres from Canada to the southern tip of Florida.
In fact, there was already a 10-year moratorium on drilling from North Carolina to Florida put in place by Trump when he was in the White House in 2020. Biden is essentially extending that beyond the 10 years.
Even oil industry advocates acknowledge the Biden moves have little immediate impact on the drilling industry, but more worry about future energy production potential if they ever wanted to explore those areas.
"You don't want to take options off the table where it could bolster our economic and national security," said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore oil, gas and wind producers.
For Biden, the move is a more tangible gesture to environmentalists who have at times blasted him for not doing more to rein in oil and gas drilling. Just last year he took criticism for allowing 73 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico that had been caught up in legal battles to be sold to drilling companies.
"As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren," Biden said.
 | Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter |
Who's up, who's down
Up: ERCOT.
During the arctic blast in February 2021, the Texas electrical grid struggled to handle daily demands of 68,000 megawatts a day. But today, when demand hit 68,000 megawatts during the first day of a week of freezing temperatures, ERCOT had another 10,000 to 20,000 megawatts of cushion. And for the remainder of the week, ERCOT is expecting to have plenty of supply to handle peak demand. In short: the grid is holding up fine this time.
Down: International Students.
Some Texas universities are asking international students to return early from holiday travels as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on Jan. 20. The University of Houston, UTSA and UT-Dallas "strongly encouraged" students to arrive home as soon as Jan. 13 due to "immigration-related uncertainties." Trump called for revoking international student visas of "radical anti-American and anti-Semitic foreigners at our colleges and universities" after pro-Palestinian protests at several campuses.
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
What else is going on in Texas
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Pick of the day
Photo by: Jeremy Wallace
That is how many Houston area residents have been charged in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol. Reporter John Wayne Ferguson looked at where their cases stand as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. Trump has make blanket promises to pardon many of those connected with the attack four years ago today.
What else I'm reading
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is already planning more vengeance against members of the Texas House. CBS 11's Jack Fink reports that during a press conference in Dallas, Paxton said he'll look to support primary challengers against any House Republicans who don't vote for Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield to be the next Speaker of the Texas House over Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Amarillo.
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