Fourteen states have banded together to sue the current administration because of its pause on oil and gas drilling leases on federal lands and waters. In his bid to fulfill his campaign promise of moving toward sustainable energy and away from non-renewables, President Biden halted new leases on oil and gas drilling within days after entering the White House. His pause on the contracts immediately drew criticism from players in the industry and has resulted in legal action by 14 states.

The pause on new oil and gas drilling leases came by way of an executive order on January 27. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) explained in a press release that the order "will help restore balance on public lands and waters, create jobs, and provide a path to align the management of America’s public lands and waters with our nation’s climate, conservation, and clean energy goals."

In the order, Biden explains that the DOI will follow up on the initiative by launching a review that will look at the current oil and gas leasing program. After review and commentary from the public through an online forum, the DOI would determine whether or not new leases on federal lands and waters will continue. The review which began on March 25, 2021, will include various voices from environmental groups, justice groups, labor groups, and all other stakeholders.

Critics Push Back Against Biden’s Order

The pause on oil and gas leases has been met with criticism from not only the oil industry but from stakeholders who have benefited from revenue generated from federal land drilling. Louisiana is among the 14 states pursuing the complaint against Biden's order. The Louisiana attorney general Jeff Landry explains, “We believe that the president’s actions are illegal and unlawful, and we’re going to hold him accountable for them to try to make sure that the gains that we’ve made over the years to help protect domestic oil and gas and energy continue.”

Critics of the pause highlight the inevitable negative impact it would have on the economies of the states who stand to benefit from these leases. The Louisiana lawsuit explains, “Those leases do more than allow America to reach its full energy-production potential—they provide significant environmental benefits because portions of the lease proceeds are invested into vital State environmental defense and restoration projects.”

Officials in New Mexico shared with Vice News that the pause in oil leases on federal lands could be detrimental to their economy. A portion of the state's education funding comes from taxes received from the oil industry. A pause in profitability could mean additional strain on an educational system that is already struggling.

The nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen explains that the pause is critical for addressing the nation's role in climate change. Alan Zibel, a researcher for Private Citizen explains, “Oil and gas CEOs and their political allies on Capitol Hill are doing whatever they can to prop up a system that allows them to exploit public lands at low costs and boost their profits.” Zibel adds, “After four years of the Trump administration’s nonstop fossil fuel giveaways, we need to take a step back and examine whether taxpayers are getting a fair deal from government oil leasing program. We also must invest in clean energy and cleanup of abandoned wells will create jobs while protecting public lands for outdoor recreation.”

Louisiana was the first to file the lawsuit that 12 states soon joined. They include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. Wyoming has also filed its own separate lawsuit against the administration.

Both lawsuits argue that Biden's pause in oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters violates the Mineral Leasing Act, which stipulates that lease sales take place quarterly.