On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced that it will be moving to prevent drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve and revoking oil and gas licenses in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve.
If the new regulation is accepted, the Department of the Interior would be forced to revoke seven drilling licenses issued by the Trump administration and prohibit drilling on 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve.
Leases covering 365,775 acres were controlled by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA).
President Joe Biden said that many of the most beautiful and historically significant places in the United States may be found in Alaska. “We have a duty to conserve this cherished place for all ages as the Arctic heats more than twice as fast as the rest of the globe due to the climate catastrophe,” Biden said.
Governor Mike Dunleavy and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan were prominent Alaskans who spoke out against the news.
Dunleavy wrote on X that the ANWR leases AIDEA has were legally obtained via a transaction authorized by Congress. He said President Biden needs a refresher course on the separation of powers idea enshrined in the Constitution – his Department of the Interior seeks to change laws without the authority to do so.
The governor also said that Alaska will go to court to fight the Biden administration’s attempts to limit oil output. Sullivan noted that Biden’s policies were a threat to American energy security.
The state of Alaska and the nation’s energy supply will suffer significantly due to the conflict. Since President Biden took office, 55 executive orders and acts have mainly targeted Alaska.
Climate activists are upset with Biden because he approved the Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope, which may produce 180,000 gallons of oil per day while canceling the Keystone XL pipeline expansion and strongly advocating for renewable energy. High gas prices nationwide have contributed to the decision to cancel the leases and halt drilling.
