Offshore Leasing Returns to Alaska
This week, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a new offshore leasing schedule, reversing years of restrictions that sidelined American oil and gas development. For Alaska, that means Cook Inlet is finally reopening for exploration. This decision will revive jobs, strengthen the state’s economy, and reduce America’s reliance on foreign energy.
Under the Biden administration, Alaska’s offshore prospects were frozen. Federal regulators canceled or postponed lease sales, leaving Alaskans without access to the resources that have long fueled the state’s economy. Meanwhile, households across America felt the effects of rising fuel prices and increased dependence on imported energy.
Thankfully, President Trump’s DOI is reopening lease sales. The Daily Caller reports,
“In line with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the DOI announced a schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of America and Alaska’s Cook Inlet, aiming to hold four lease sales by next August and 10 offshore lease sales by 2028, according to the DOI. While the Biden administration clamped down on offshore oil and gas leasing, enacting a last-minute drilling ban across millions of acres and greenlighting a record-low leasing schedule, the Trump administration has moved to reopen federal lands and waters that were locked up.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called the effort a “landmark step toward unleashing America’s energy potential.” Cook Inlet has enormous promise. New leasing will generate high-paying jobs, increase state revenues to support essential services, and give Alaska a significant role in securing U.S. energy dominance.
August 20, 2025