Biden, Haaland and Other Federal Obstructionists Sued Over ANWR Freeze

November 5, 2021

For decades, Alaskans have strongly favored responsible development of the Coastal Plain within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  While environmental radicals may say otherwise, the people who know best – Alaskans – understand that drilling on the Coastal Plain would be done safely, bring jobs to our state, and lead to billions of barrels of oil being brought to market, and to a world that will drive its demand for the foreseeable future.

The hard work by Alaska’s Congressional delegation to open the Coastal Plain to development paid off in late 2017, as ANWR was opened as part of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act.  The first of two required lease sales took place in January, 2021.  Legal contracts were signed with successful bidders of lease areas, and things seemed to be moving along under the terms of the Tax Act.

But once Joe Biden took over the Oval Office, everything ground to a halt with ANWR.  Having run on a day-one pledge to halt its development, he delivered on it, to the delight of misguided people and organizations who care more about caribou, flora and fauna than jobs, national security and energy independence.  Follow-up orders by the Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management made it clear that ANWR was off-limits, legal leases and federal laws be damned.

That is why it was such fantastic news to see the major leaseholder, the Alaska Industrial Development Export Authority (AIDEA) file suit against the federal government yesterday.  Naming Joe Biden, Deb Haaland, Tracy Stone-Manning and others associated with the administration it was filed “in direct response to unlawful actions to obstruct and delay the development of valid oil and gas leases in the non-wilderness Coastal Plain (Section 1002 Area) of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).”

Power The Future has met with many of AIDEA’s board members and executive staff, and appreciate the hard work they’re doing to drive safe and responsible development of Alaska’s extensive and nationally-critical natural resources.  We applaud AIDEA for recognizing the overtly obstructionist tactics of the eco-Left-beholden administration, and standing up for Alaska and its bright energy future.