President Trump’s team is charging full speed to unleash Alaska’s oil potential. On Monday, the administration kicked off efforts to dismantle President Biden’s April 2024 ban on drilling across 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. It’s a bold move that’s already stirring the pot.
The Washington Times reported that the Trump administration, led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, aims to reverse Biden’s rule that shielded vast swaths of Alaska’s largest public land from oil and gas leasing to protect wildlife like polar bears and caribou.
This push aligns with Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” mantra, prioritizing energy security over environmentalist objections.
Trump wasted no time, signing an executive order on his first day in office to explore oil and gas development. This directive set the tone for Monday’s action, which builds on his declaration of a National Energy Emergency earlier this year.
That emergency status gave the administration muscle to slash regulations long decried by Republicans as anti-energy.
Sunday saw Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin touch down in Anchorage.
They met with Alaska’s Republican Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski to strategize on advancing the drilling agenda. No dawdling here—Trump’s team means business.
On Monday, the trio headed to the North Slope, home to the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve. They assessed the economic upside of tapping this land, designated in 1923 by President Harding as an oil stash for the Navy. The visit underscores the administration’s laser focus on boosting revenue and jobs.
The Cabinet members are slated to speak at Governor Mike Dunleavy’s energy conference on Tuesday. Expect them to double down on the economic case for drilling, pitching it as a win for Alaska and the nation. The conference will likely amplify their message to industry allies.
“Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America’s energy security through responsible development,” Burgum declared.
His words frame the reserve as a resource meant for use, not a museum for polar bears. Environmentalists, brace yourselves.
Burgum didn’t stop there. “We’re restoring the balance and putting energy future back on track,” he said, signaling a rejection of Biden’s green-tinted policies. The Interior Secretary’s confidence suggests the administration sees this as a slam-dunk for economic growth.
The American Petroleum Institute, a heavyweight in the energy sector, is cheering loudly. “API applauds the administration for taking action to repeal the misguided NPR-A rule and fully leverage Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve as a driver of revenue, economic growth, and energy security,” said senior vice president Dustin Meyer. Industry’s on board, but not everyone’s clapping.
Environmental groups are sounding the alarm, warning that drilling could scar Alaska’s pristine wilderness.
They argue the move threatens caribou, polar bears, and beluga whales, species already stressed by climate shifts. Their concerns, while heartfelt, face an uphill battle against Trump’s energy-first agenda.
Marlee Goska, an Alaska attorney at the Center of Biological Diversity, didn’t mince words. “Trump’s fixation on plundering Alaska’s ecosystems for short-term gain is matched only by the stupidity of turning this precious place into a fossil-fuel extraction site,” she said.
Goska’s zinger lands hard, yet it sidesteps the economic realities that Trump’s team is banking on. Jobs, revenue, and energy independence aren’t just buzzwords—they’re lifelines for many Alaskans. The environmentalist case feels noble but disconnected from the grit of everyday needs.
The National Petroleum Reserve, transferred to the Interior Department in the 1970s, has long been a battleground for oil leasing.
Biden’s 2024 rule aimed to tip the scales toward conservation, locking up half the reserve. Trump’s reversal is less a nudge than a full-throttle charge toward development.
