Venezuela? Yes. Alaska? No. ANWR Delayed Again by Interior

December 2, 2022

President Biden’s Interior Department announced earlier this week that it would not meet its November deadline to submit the revised environmental review of the proposed leasing program for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

When all activities related to the exploration and potential development were put on-hold by Interior nearly two years ago, the stated timeline was “temporary”.  The announcement that the earliest timeframe would now be late second quarter, 2023 will be of little solace to those the holder of the majority of the leases, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA).  AIDEA has been under fire from ENGOs for continuing to hold the leases, as they’d rather see the Authority hand them back to Interior.

That move would be horrible for Alaska, America and the world’s energy needs. 

While the Biden Administration begs OPEC+ for increased supplies, allows Chevron to drill in Venezuela and restricts Russia’s supplies, it has done immeasurable damage to Americans with their rabid anti-development activities.

Allowing the ANWR exploration process to move forward would be a good first step in seeing what opportunities for responsible oil and gas extraction actually lie beneath its grassy plains.

Instead of enriching other countries and driving U.S. inflation and energy prices higher, our federal leaders should be driving opportunity in America.  By delaying – again – ANWR’s process, the Biden Administration fails America, just as it has done over and over since January, 2021.