Trump Admin Walks Back Biden Rule ‘Smothering’ Alaskan Oil

President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to repeal a Biden-era rule that restricted oil drilling and infrastructure across Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, according to the Department of the Interior (DOI).

The Biden administration policy designated around 13 million acres on the North Slope in Alaska as “special areas,” restricting oil and gas leasing as part of former President Joe Biden’s major crackdown on natural resource extraction in the state. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced the policy change on Sunday, furthering Trump’s January executive order directing deregulatory moves to allow for oil, gas and mineral development in the state, according to Bloomberg.

“Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America’s energy security through responsible development,” Burgum said in a Monday statement. “The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production and undermining our ability to harness domestic resources at a time when American energy independence has never been more critical. We’re restoring the balance and putting our energy future back on track.”

DOI determined the Biden-era rule was “inconsistent with the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976,” the agency said Monday. The Trump administration’s proposed rule will be released in the Federal Register and available for public feedback for 60 days.

Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve on the North Slope contains 8.7 billion barrels of retrievable oil, according to estimates from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The reserve, spanning about 23 million acres in total across Alaska’s North Slope, was designated by Congress for oil and gas development for national energy security in response to the oil crisis of the 1970s.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who was also in Alaska to discuss promoting energy, said that restrictive policies have been “smothering” the region’s potential for years, adding that he expects oil development in Alaska to potentially quadruple on its North Slope, Bloomberg reported.

Beyond placing restrictions on Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, the Biden administration also targeted the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), retroactively canceled lease sales and effectively blocked a major mining project in the state, often citing the administration’s commitment to protecting the environment for native communities in official statements and press releases. However, these actions deeply disappointed some Alaska Native communities, who told the Daily Caller News Foundation previously that the administration largely disregarded their desire for development essential to their community’s economy.

Trump has moved to increase domestic power production through several executive orders to cut red tape for different energy industries and declared a “national energy emergency” upon returning to office.

DOI, DOE, Republican Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan and Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s offices did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.