US offshore drilling proposal includes auctions off California coast

The U.S. Interior Department on Thursday unveiled a plan to hold as many as 34 oil and gas lease sales between 2026 and 2031 in the Gulf of Mexico and in federal waters off the coasts of Alaska and California.

The proposal is aligned with Trump's energy dominance agenda to supercharge domestic fossil fuel production but is likely to draw criticism from states that oppose new oil and gas development off their coastlines.