On Monday, the Biden White House announced that it will prohibit oil, gas, and geothermal development in northeastern Nevada’s Ruby Mountains for the next 20 years.

According to the Associated Press, this extensive ban applies to about 264,000 acres of federal land, effectively stopping any new energy exploration in the area.

The administration claims the decision was made due to requests from Native American tribes, conservationists, and outdoor recreation groups, framing it as an effort to protect the environment.

However, critics argue that this is another instance of Biden prioritizing environmentalist interests over domestic energy production.

The proposal kicks off a 90-day public comment period and introduces a two-year moratorium on new oil, gas, and geothermal leases in the region.

Mining activities will still be permitted on these lands, raising questions about the consistency of the administration’s environmental policies.

The administration’s proposal initiates a 90-day period for public comments and imposes a two-year ban on new oil, gas, and geothermal leases in the region.

However, mining activities will still be allowed on the land, prompting some to question the consistency of the administration’s environmental policies.

This action is part of a pattern of decisions by the Biden administration that are overtly or implicitly antagonistic toward the oil and gas industry.

Biden has not only canceled leases for oil, gas, and mining operations in the West, the administration has also canceled projects, like the Keystone XL pipeline and his policies have faced criticism for increasing dependence on foreign energy while driving up energy costs for American consumers. This is obviously being done in hopes of somehow tying up Donald Trump’s coming energy policies. But at least in this case mining is exempted … for now.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ruby Mountains with Ruby Dome – By Gary L. Clark – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45278884