Trump proposes to restore drilling in 13M Arctic acres restricted by Biden
The Trump administration is proposing to restore the potential for oil and gas drilling on 13 million acres of government-owned Arctic land that had previously been restricted by the Biden administration.
The acres in question are part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, an area of 23 million acres in total that were set aside in 1923 by President Harding as an emergency supply of oil for the Navy.
The effort to open up more drilling in the area is not a surprise, as President Trump signed a Day One executive order directing a reversal of Biden policies that limited drilling in the area.
Nevertheless, the formal proposal announced Monday represents a concrete step toward actually opening up more drilling there.
“The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America’s energy security through responsible development,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a written statement.
“The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production and undermining our ability to harness domestic resources at a time when American energy independence has never been more critical. We're restoring the balance and putting our energy future back on track,” he said.
When it restricted drilling in the 13 million acres, the Biden administration argued that it was protecting animals like grizzly and polar bears, caribou and migratory birds, as well as tribes that depend on the area’s land water and wildlife.
The first Trump administration also sought to greatly expand fossil fuel production in the region.