By Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Ari Natter, Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is ruling out selling offshore oil and gas leases along the U.S. East Coast, after its initial plan for auctioning them drew alarm from Republican strongholds in the Southeast.

The shift in thinking comes after the White House earlier contemplated a more expansive approach to auctioning offshore drilling rights, having drafted plans for potential sales up and down the U.S. East Coast, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because they aren’t authorized to discuss the deliberations.

But news reports on that broader approach drew swift condemnation from environmentalists and provoked alarm among some Republican stakeholders in the Southeast due to fears it could impa

See Full Page