February 27, 2026 — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced a step toward leasing areas for offshore oil and gas drilling in California this week, by launching an associated environmental process.
BOEM announced Thursday the department would prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement for lease sales in northern, central and southern California.
A soon-to-be-released statement will primarily concern sales planned for 2027 in central and southern California, according to BOEM.
A Northern California lease sale is proposed for 2029, according to a BOEM document.
This is a California-specific part of a broader effort by the Trump Administration to open lease areas in federal waters across the country for sale to oil and gas companies, with an aim to restore domestic energy production.