The Interior Department on Thursday said it will expand drilling opportunities for fossil fuels in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the neighboring National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to support President Donald Trump’s vision of “American energy dominance.”
Although response to lease offers has been tepid in the past, Secretary Doug Burgum said the actions would help exploit Alaska’s “abundant and largely untapped resources.”
“For far too long, the federal government has created too many barriers to capitalizing on the state’s energy potential,” Burgum said in a statement. “Interior is committed to recognizing the central role the State of Alaska plays in meeting our nation’s energy needs, while providing tremendous economic opportunity for Alaskans.”
