SC Alaska News

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, along with Congressman Nick Begich III, have criticized the Department of the Interior (DOI) following a lease sale in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) that received no bids. The Alaska delegation attributes this outcome to DOI's actions, which they claim made development unfeasible.

The lease sale was announced last December after DOI revised the Coastal Plain oil and gas program. According to the delegation, these changes were intended to fail by restricting available lands for leasing and imposing extensive restrictions on those that remained. They argue that these measures contradict provisions included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Senator Murkowski stated, “I derive no satisfaction in saying I told you so, but the ‘lack of interest’ in this lease sale was an intended consequence of this administration’s efforts to make any development in the Coastal Plain economically unfeasible." She criticized what she described as a failed energy policy prioritizing resources from other countries over states like Alaska.

Senator Sullivan remarked, “This is no surprise. From Day 1, Joe Biden and Deb Haaland have sought to illegally shut down any chance of developing ANWR and have said as much.” He accused them of working with "eco-colonialist allies" to obstruct ANWR lease sales while ignoring local voices.

Congressman Begich expressed similar sentiments: “The federal government has behaved more like an adversary than an ally when it comes to responsible development in Alaska.” He argued that making a lease sale uneconomic is not indicative of disinterest but rather reflects understanding that offers were not made in good faith.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2017 established an oil and gas program for ANWR's Coastal Plain or "1002 Area," requiring at least two area-wide lease sales by December 2024. This area is estimated to hold approximately 7.7 billion barrels of oil, crucial for refilling the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.

The Biden administration imposed a pause on the Coastal Plain program, rescinded valid leases issued earlier, and introduced uncertainty into future leasing efforts. Simultaneously, sanctions on countries such as Iran and Venezuela were relaxed, enabling increased production levels.