White House Shifts Deepwater Port Licensing to MARAD in Bid to Accelerate Energy Exports

The Trump administration is revamping how offshore oil and gas export terminals are approved, handing control of the deepwater port licensing process from the U.S. Coast Guard to the Maritime Administration in a bid to clear long-running backlogs and move projects faster.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the change on Monday, framing it as a key step in the White House’s push to expand U.S. energy production and exports.

“The Deepwater Port Program is a key pillar of President Trump’s energy dominance strategy,” Duffy said. “This change will let us move projects more quickly so America can use more of its natural resources, create good-paying jobs, and lower energy costs for families.”

Under the new setup, MARAD will take the lead on environmental reviews and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance. The Coast Guard will step into a supporting role, focusing on what it knows best: safety, vessel traffic, facility design, construction standards, and operations.

MARAD Administrator Steve Carmel said the agency is ready to take the helm. “We’re excited to lead the Deepwater Port Program and continue working closely with the Coast Guard to make the process more efficient and fuel our energy economy for years to come.”

The overhaul follows years of frustration from industry over the slow pace of approvals. Only 11 deepwater port applications have been approved since the licensing system was created in the 1970s, and just eight licenses have ever been issued.

That slowdown has come even as U.S. energy exports have surged. Preliminary data shows United States became the world’s first country to export more than 100 million tonnes of LNG in a single year in 2025, while crude oil exports topped 4.1 million barrels per day in 2024 and are expected to climb again this year.

Several multibillion-dollar offshore projects remain stuck in the pipeline, including the Blue Marlin oil export terminal, Phillips 66’s Bluewater project, and New Fortress Energy’s Louisiana floating LNG facility. Two approved projects — SPOT and Delfin — are currently under construction.

The administration says it is now working to move forward with multiple licenses in what it has dubbed the “Gulf of America,” arguing that faster approvals are essential if the U.S. wants to maintain its lead in global energy markets.

Whether MARAD can deliver speed without cutting corners on environmental and safety oversight is the question that now hangs over the industry. But after decades of gridlock, Washington is signaling that the era of deepwater port purgatory may finally be ending.

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