Trump Would Open Nearly All US Waters to Drilling. But Will They Drill?

"The Trump administration’s move to open nearly all of America’s coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling would give energy companies access to more than a billion acres off the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts.

Mr. Trump’s plan upends a decades-long effort to balance the nation’s energy needs with protecting ocean ecosystems, and it is meeting stiff resistance from governors up and down the coasts. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced on Jan. 9 that Florida was off the table after meeting the state’s governor, Rick Scott. But 10 days later, a senior Interior official appeared to contradict Mr. Zinke, telling a congressional hearing that the secretary’s decision was not final.

Other states are also seeking exemptions."

Hiroko Tabuchi and Tim Wallace report for the New York Times January 23, 2018.