Today, the US Department of Interior released the next five-year plan for federal offshore oil and gas leasing.
The Biden Administration plan pushes more alternative fuels and does not bode well for the future of the industry, especially in Louisiana.
It calls for just three lease sales in the Gulf over the next five years.
"They are doing the absolute minimum they have to," Tulane Energy Institute Professor Eric Smith told WWL First News. "What you are seeing here will effect all states negatively, but it will effect Louisiana the worst."
He says the White House wants to quickly cut gas and oil production before alternative fuels are ready to fill the gap.
Dr. Greg Upton is an Associate Research Professor at the LSU Center for Energy Studies.
He says after generations of consistent leases through Democratic and Republican Administrations, now the industry never knows what to expect.
"The bigger concern from my standpoint would be if this is the new normal," he explained. "If the new normal is uncertainty into how the process works."
Upton says there is unprecedented uncertainty with both Congress and the White House, when it comes to oil and gas policy.
"Historically as you went through different regimes, this program was always constant."
Louisiana Oil & Gas Association President Mike Moncla was not happy with the announced plan.
“As predictable as it is, it is still disappointing to see that the Biden administration’s war on the oil and gas industry rages on." he said in a released statment. "The Inflation Reduction Act promised us anywhere from zero to eleven offshore lease sales. Now, they’re only committing to three for the next five years. This will curtail discoveries for years to come."
Moncla says never before have they faced such limited opportunities.
"Every other administration prior to this one had Five-Year Plans that enabled uninterrupted leasing activities. This action will negatively impact Louisiana jobs and diminish... funds that are rebuilding our coast."