Federal Review Targets California Coastal Commission Amid Push for More Oil Production
The Trump administration has launched a federal review of California’s coastal management program, a move seen as an effort to expand offshore oil activity and limit the state commission’s oversight.
In a bid to increase crude output, the Trump administration initiated a federal assessment of the California Coastal Commission, which traditionally reviews projects affecting the state’s coastline. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the review will examine how California addresses federal interests in spaceport infrastructure, offshore oil, pipeline maintenance and desalination. Critics fear the move could strip the commission of its say in federal projects, jeopardizing protection of coastal bluffs, beaches and wildlife.
The administration simultaneously announced new offshore oil leases in California and Florida and aided a Texas firm in reviving a pipeline idled after a 2015 spill that blackened 150 miles of shoreline. State officials have also filed a lawsuit over a recent offshore wind lease buyback, highlighting the broader conflict between federal fossil-fuel expansion and California’s renewable-energy agenda.
