WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that could open large parts of the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans to new oil and gas drilling, creating yet another clash with California, where leaders are vowing they will do everything in their power to block new drilling off the state's shores.
Trump's move, which is certain to face legal and political challenges, could undo a plan finalized late in former President Barack Obama's second term that sought to limit fossil fuel development and fight climate change by not including new drilling leases off the coast of California or Alaska during the current five-year federal offshore plan, which extends through 2022.
Many leaders in California have long sought a permanent ban on new leasing offshore, and they reacted swiftly to the possibility that drilling could expand.
Trump promised the directive "will make America energy secure" and "create greater prosperity and security for all Americans."
"It's going to lead to a lot of great wealth for our country, a lot of great jobs for our country," he said.
