President Joe Biden has announced a comprehensive ban on future offshore oil and natural gas drilling across America’s East and West coasts, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s North Bering Sea. The decision, covering more than 625 million acres of U.S. oceans, is a major step in his administration’s environmental and conservation efforts.

“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks,” Biden said in a statement.

The move, enacted under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, permanently prohibits all future oil and natural gas leasing in the designated areas. These protections “have no expiration date,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Biden emphasized that the decision does not compromise the nation’s energy security or economic growth. “We do not need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our ocean healthy, our coastlines resilient, and the food they produce secure and keeping energy prices low. Those are false choices,” he said.

This action bolsters Biden’s record on conservation, with the White House stating that he will have preserved more lands and waters than any other U.S. president in history.

The decision contrasts sharply with promises from former President Donald Trump, who frequently advocated for expanding oil drilling to lower energy costs, rallying supporters with his “drill, baby, drill” slogan. Biden’s move underscores his administration’s commitment to combating climate change and protecting natural ecosystems while shaping a future less reliant on fossil fuels.