Judge issues new permanent injunction on Biden oil and gas leasing pause

A federal judge placed a permanent injunction against President Joe Biden 's pause on federal oil and gas leasing in 13 states, following up on a temporary injunction placed on the Biden order last summer.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump nominee, ruled late Thursday that the federal government may not stop issuing leases on federal lands and waters in accordance with the pause Biden ordered during his first week in office. Doughty's order said federal law requires the Interior Department to carry out lease sales, citing the Mineral Leasing Act, which requires the department to hold sales "where eligible lands are available" and to do so "at least quarterly.”

Doughty had already put a preliminary injunction on the leasing pause in June 2021. The Biden administration has since carried out one offshore lease sale and one series of onshore lease sales across various states pursuant to the preliminary injunction.