The Governors of North and South Carolina Unite to Preserve Offshore Drilling Moratorium

The Governors of North and South Carolina have joined forces to advocate for maintaining the moratorium on offshore drilling along their states’ coastlines.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster sent a joint letter Sunday to Kelly Hammerle, the National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Manager at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, urging federal officials to exclude their states’ outer continental shelf lands from the upcoming 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

The initiative builds upon a September 2020 Trump administration memoranda that protected Carolina’s coastal waters from leasing disposition until June 30, 2032. This protection covers a significant maritime region, encompassing 513 miles of ocean beaches and 6,251 miles of combined coastline.

“Because of the significant risks associated with offshore oil and gas exploration, development and production off the Carolina coasts, every North Carolina and South Carolina coastal municipality has passed a resolution opposing offshore drilling and seismic testing,” the governors stated in their joint communication.

The economic implications of this protection are substantial. In 2021, the Carolinas’ coastal economy contributed $9.6 billion to the GDP and supported more than 125,000 jobs, with $3.8 billion in wages across tourism, recreation, shipbuilding, fishing, and marine transportation sectors.

Governor McMaster, particularly vocal about South Carolina’s interests, underscoring the state’s unique coastal assets: “South Carolina’s coastline is one of the most pristine in the country… This unspoiled natural beauty is the foundation of a $29 billion tourism industry supporting millions of annual visitors and tens of thousands of jobs in communities like Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Hilton Head, and Beaufort.”

This recent push comes as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) initiates its process for developing the 11th National OCS Program. The agency announced on April 18, 2025, that it would begin gathering information and comments regarding the economic, social, and environmental values of OCS resources.

Both governors have been consistent in their opposition to offshore drilling. Governor McMaster’s advocacy dates back to January 2018, when he requested an exemption for South Carolina from then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Similarly, Governor Stein has maintained a strong stance against offshore drilling, having successfully opposed such initiatives during his tenure as Attorney General.