Obama announces plan to drill oil and natural gas

President Barack Obama has announced he will stick with a Bush-era plan to drill oil and natural gas off the coast of Virginia but says he will not pursue energy development in waters off the US Northeast and the West Coast that were recently opened to drilling.

Obama, who wants Congress to move a stalled climate change bill, has sought to reach out to Republicans by signalling he is open to allowing offshore drilling, providing coastlines are protected. Allowing offshore drilling would also create jobs and reduce US long-term dependence on foreign oil.

"What I want to emphasize is that this announcement is part of a broader strategy that will move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels and foreign oil to one that relies more on homegrown fuels and clean energy," Obama said in a speech at Andrews Air Force Base.

He said his administration would consider new areas for drilling in the mid and south Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, while protecting sensitive regions in the Arctic.

The president, who needs bipartisan support to pass the bill that would set limits on US greenhouse gas emissions, cautioned that expanding drilling was not a catch-all answer to US energy challenges.

"Drilling alone cannot come close to meeting our long-term energy needs, and ... for the sake of the planet and our energy independence, we need to begin the transition to cleaner fuels now," Obama said.