In a controversial move that once stirred debates across Virginia, Winsome Earle-Sears previously collaborated with the American Petroleum Institute to advocate for offshore drilling in the state. This initiative, part of a Trump administration proposal, faced criticism for potentially endangering the state’s fishing and tourism sectors and risking significant job losses.
Though environmental activists successfully halted the plan, the issue might resurface with President Donald Trump back in office and Earle-Sears now a gubernatorial candidate.
Back in June 2018, Earle-Sears aligned with the American Petroleum Institute’s Explore Offshore Coalition. The coalition aimed to garner support from Black and Hispanic communities for the Trump administration’s offshore drilling plans stretching from Cape May, NJ to Cape Canaveral, FL. Earle-Sears authored an op-ed in the Daily Press, advocating that this proposal could create jobs and lower energy costs in Virginia.
“With the exploration and potential for development of offshore energy resources, Virginia could gain 25,000 jobs, many with an average salary of $116,000 — more than double the commonwealth’s average,” she asserted in her piece.
Interestingly, the op-ed did not reveal Earle-Sears’ connection to the American Petroleum Institute, a leading lobbyist for the oil and gas sector, nor did it substantiate her claims with sources. These job creation and economic impact statistics were echoed in various American Petroleum Institute publications, including other op-eds from coalition members.
Environmental organizations contested the projections offered by Earle-Sears and the American Petroleum Institute. A report by the nonprofit Oceana indicated that while offshore drilling could generate jobs, it might simultaneously put millions at risk. A disaster akin to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill could devastate Virginia’s coastal fishing and tourism for extended periods.
Specifically in Virginia, such an event could threaten 46,000 jobs and potentially harm military installations like the Norfolk naval base.
Furthermore, the anticipated benefits of offshore drilling might be short-lived, with oil supply meeting demand for just two years.
Oceana, alongside other environmental entities such as the Sierra Club, filed a lawsuit in 2018 against the Trump administration, claiming that seismic testing permits for offshore oil and gas exploration breached the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Although the lawsuit did not reach a verdict, it contributed to delays and growing resistance to offshore drilling. In the same year, 20 Virginia localities formally opposed the plan. These efforts, coupled with Democratic successes in the 2018 midterms, effectively stalled the Trump administration’s offshore drilling agenda.
In a recent development, Trump instructed the Interior Department to seek public feedback on a fresh five-year offshore drilling strategy. This directive followed his nullification of a previous executive order by former President Joe Biden, which had prohibited offshore drilling in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific.
While Earle-Sears has yet to comment publicly on renewed offshore drilling in Virginia, her Democratic rival, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, has articulated her opposition on her campaign website.
“In Congress, Abigail built a record of working with both parties to lower greenhouse gas emissions in a responsible way,” the website notes. “She focused on increasing energy efficiency, protecting Virginia’s coastline from offshore drilling, and safeguarding Virginia’s natural resources for future generations.”
A 2024 Ipsos poll commissioned by Oceana reveals that 64% of registered voters favor protecting coastlines from offshore drilling, and 63% advocate for transitioning to renewable energy.
An Earle-Sears spokesperson did not immediately respond to inquiries for this report.
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