Thomas Catenacci of the Washington Free Beacon reports on response to President Donald Trump’s plans for Alaskan energy.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum delivered welcome news to a roomful of Alaska Natives on Sunday evening: The Trump administration will take action to rescind a Biden-era climate rule that locked up millions of acres from future oil and gas development.
Burgum made the unexpected announcement in Utqiagvik, Alaska—America’s northernmost community and home to the Inupiat people—flanked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, fellow members of President Donald Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council. At Burgum’s direction, the Interior Department will initiate a formal rulemaking process Monday morning to rescind the regulations.
The action, if eventually finalized, would remove restrictions former president Joe Biden unveiled on Earth Day 2024, blocking development across 13 million acres of federal lands in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve—an area Congress specifically set aside for development decades ago. The Biden administration went through with the restrictions despite vigorous opposition from Alaska Natives, many of whom were present at the town hall event in Utqiagvik on Sunday evening.
“The three of us have a charge—it’s our jobs in our respective departments to go and execute on unleashing Alaska’s extraordinary potential,” Burgum remarked to applause.
Many of the administration’s energy-related actions thus far have been via executive action, which make them vulnerable to court injunctions and reversal by future Democratic administrations. By opting for a formal rulemaking process, Burgum’s approach on the issue could provide more changes to Biden-era actions that conflict with Trump’s agenda.
The announcement also reaffirms Trump’s commitment to making Alaska a centerpiece of his commitment to “drill, baby, drill” and accelerate domestic oil and gas development. On his first day in office, Trump ordered Burgum to pursue aggressive drilling and mining opportunities in Alaska.
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Author: Mitch Kokai
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