Staff reports | A presidential memorandum that halts offshore drilling and testing off South Carolina waters also puts an end to the burgeoning offshore wind industry, clean energy advocates say.

The memo initially seemed to be good news for conservationists: President Donald Trump recently signed a memo halting new leases for offshore drilling exploration for South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida from July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2032.Sure, it could easily be undone with another memo, it doesn’t apply to any current leases already issued and it wouldn’t stop seismic testing completely. But it was something and appeared to be in the direction South Carolina officials have pushed: putting an end to chants of “drill, baby, drill” in Palmetto waters.