Biden Oil Halt Called ‘Crushing Blow’ to Western U.S. States

Western state officials say President Joe Biden’s executive order halting new leases for oil and gas leasing on federal lands will slash investment, cut jobs, drop wages, and pummel tax revenues throughout the region.

Biden issued several directives Wednesday designed to fight climate change, including the leasing pause, a review of fossil fuel subsidies, and other measures to overhaul the U.S. energy mix.

State officials cited dramatic figures about the economic impact of a leasing halt from a University of Wyoming study in December conducted for the Wyoming Energy Authority, an agency whose mission is “to advance the state’s energy ...