President Trump is reiterating his “Drill, baby, drill” mantra, urging oil production to ramp up to keep prices in check.
But while campaign slogans dominate headlines, the real progress is happening behind the scenes in federal policy decisions that determine whether the Gulf Coast remains an engine of American energy.
For generations, the Gulf of America has anchored America’s offshore energy leadership. But that strength isn’t automatic. It depends on steady access to offshore leases, exploration, and long-term investment opportunity. Without it, production slows, jobs disappear, and competitors like China and Russia gain ground.
That’s why the Biden administration’s offshore leasing program was so alarming. It proposed just three lease sales over five years, the lowest number in U.S. history. It was a clear step backward for our energy future and a blow to the thousands of workers and businesses across Texas, Louisiana, and beyond who depend on this industry every day.
Thankfully, the Trump administration is now working to reverse course. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has not only moved forward with Lease Sale 262 in the Gulf of America but has also started work to improve the current offshore oil and gas leasing program. That’s welcome news across the Gulf Coast – and it couldn’t come at a more critical time.
I founded Morrison Energy more than 40 years ago, and over the decades, I’ve seen the full cycle of this industry – booms, downturns, and every policy shift in between. My company has supported operators on projects of every kind, helping to solve problems and keep offshore development moving. We provide infrastructure construction and maintenance services to support development. When the leasing process is stable, that work flows.
When our clients invest, we hire. When we hire, families from Houston to Houma benefit. These aren’t short-term gigs, they’re meaningful, high-wage careers that help people build their lives and communities.
Offshore projects in the Gulf don’t just create short-term construction jobs. They support entire careers. According to industry studies, a single deepwater project can generate over 1,400 direct jobs annually, contribute $100 million in direct wages, and sustain nearly $300 million in economic activity – each year, for 30 years.
It also supports over 200 job types – many paying well above the national average. That kind of impact touches nearly every corner of the Gulf Coast economy: shipyards, steel suppliers, safety trainers, and technical schools.
But those benefits only materialize when companies can plan. Offshore oil and gas projects take years to design and billions in capital to execute. No business will commit to that kind of investment without confidence in the regulatory outlook. The previous leasing plan created deep uncertainty for one of our nation’s most strategic industries.
Secretary Burgum’s recent actions send a different message: the U.S. is ready to lead again.
This matters not only for energy affordability and jobs, but for national security and environmental performance. The Gulf of America is a premier oil producing region, with carbon intensity far lower than almost every other global alternative. When we produce energy here, we do it under the strongest environmental standards on earth. If we don’t, that energy may simply come from places with weaker rules and higher emissions.
And with rising demand from AI, data centers, manufacturing, and logistics, scalable and reliable energy has never been more important.
Lease Sale 262 is a welcome step. But we need more than one sale. We need a consistent, forward-looking leasing program that provides the certainty required for private investment, workforce development, and long-term growth.
We applaud Secretary Burgum and the Trump administration for recognizing the Gulf’s central role in America’s energy strategy. Because this isn’t just about geology, it’s about jobs, economic strength, and national resilience.
