The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has formally begun reviewing a proposal for a potential minerals lease sale in federal waters off the coast of Virginia — part of the Outer Continental Shelf. This is only the third offshore minerals leasing action of its kind in over 30 years.
President Trump’s Executive Order 14285 — Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources prioritizes securing domestic access to key minerals (such as manganese, nickel, copper and others) that are essential for clean energy, manufacturing, defense technologies and supply-chain resilience. Offshore mineral leasing could help reduce dependence on foreign sources for these materials.