Alaska Is Open for Energy Again
Common sense is finally returning to Washington, and it’s reaching all the way to Alaska’s North Slope.
The Department of the Interior announced last week that it’s reopening the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil and gas leasing. After years of Washington red tape and energy lockdowns, this is welcome news for Alaskan workers, Native communities, and every American who wants affordable, reliable energy.
The Daily Caller reports,
“The DOI announced Thursday that it is reopening the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil and gas leasing and is seeking lease sale location opportunities on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), both expansive and energy-abundant tundras in the state. The Trump administration’s moves to unleash Alaska’s rich energy resources stands in stark contrast with Biden-era initiatives that blocked oil and gas development across the state — a shift that one Native community representative told the Daily Caller News Foundation they welcomed as necessary actions to support their economy.”
“Today’s development is another indicator that the federal government understands and respects the importance of North Slope Iñupiaq self-determination,” Nagruk Harcharek, president of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, (VOICE) a nonprofit representing 21 Native corporations and communities across Alaska, told the DCNF. “Durable policies that create economic opportunities on the North Slope are vital for our communities, economy, and culture. We look forward to continued engagement with the Trump administration and Congress to advance Iñupiaq self-determination and ensure that our communities may thrive in our ancestral homelands for generations to come.”
President Trump’s day-one executive order to unleash Alaska’s resources and his One Big Beautiful Bill Act are delivering results that matter: real jobs, real energy, and real prosperity.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said it best: “By reopening the Coastal Plain and advancing key infrastructure, we are strengthening energy independence, creating jobs, and supporting Alaska’s communities.”
The contrast couldn’t be more apparent. Biden blocked, banned, and blamed. Trump builds, produces, and empowers. By working with Alaskans instead of against them, this administration is proving that when you unleash American energy, everyone wins.
October 30, 2025