Trump Administration Reverses Biden-Era Oil Restrictions, Reopens 13 Million Acres in Alaska for Energy Development

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration on Nov. 13 finalized a sweeping rollback of Biden-era restrictions on oil and gas development in Alaska, restoring access to more than 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR-A) in a move officials say will bolster U.S. energy security and revive North Slope communities.

The new rule—set for publication in the Federal Register on Nov. 17—rescinds the April 2024 Bureau of Land Management regulation that barred drilling across nearly half of the 23-million-acre petroleum reserve. First designated in 1923 by President Warren Harding as an emergency fuel supply for the U.S. Navy, the reserve remains the single largest block of federally managed land in the United States.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the reversal fulfills President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order directing federal agencies to expand natural resource development across Alaska’s federal and state lands.

“By rescinding the 2024 rule, we are following the direction set by President Trump to unlock Alaska’s energy potential, create jobs for North Slope communities, and strengthen American energy security,” Burgum said. “This action restores common-sense management and ensures responsible development benefits both Alaska and the nation.”

Strong Support from Alaska Native and Local Leaders

The policy shift drew significant support from North Slope leaders who rely on resource development for economic stability.

Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, representing communities across the region, said the restoration of drilling rights is vital for sustaining essential services such as education, power generation, and community infrastructure funded by local tax revenue.

North Slope Borough Mayor Josiah Patkotak praised the decision as a “meaningful step toward restoring a federal process” that respects local leadership.

“Good policy comes from good process, which requires hearing directly from the people who live, work, and hunt here,” Patkotak said, emphasizing that local input had been sidelined under the previous administration.

Environmental Groups Push Back

Environmental advocates condemned the rollback, accusing the Interior Department of abandoning its conservation mandate.

“This rollback is nothing more than a giveaway to the oil and gas industry,” said Bobby McEnaney, land conservation director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Weakening protections is reckless, and it threatens to erase the very landscapes Congress sought to safeguard.”

Part of a Broader Trump Energy Expansion

The move is the latest in a series of Trump administration efforts to reverse Biden-era constraints on Alaska energy production. Last month, the Interior Department reopened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) coastal plain to oil leasing and reinstated permits for the 211-mile Ambler Road Project, unlocking access to critical copper and cobalt deposits.

Together, the actions mark a dramatic expansion of U.S. energy development in the Arctic, aligning with President Trump’s push to eliminate dependence on foreign energy and restore American energy dominance.

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