The Trump administration has unveiled a draft plan to open vast areas of offshore waters near Florida to oil and gas drilling for the first time in decades. The proposal includes multiple lease sales in the eastern Gulf of Mexico between 2026 and 2031 as part of a wider 34-sale national programme framed as a boost for energy security and jobs.

Environmental groups and Florida leaders, including Governor Ron DeSantis and several Republican lawmakers, have condemned the move, warning it threatens the state’s beaches, tourism economy, and fisheries. The White House has defended the plan as essential to strengthening domestic energy production.