Alaska’s congressional delegation is celebrating the Department of the Interior’s decision to begin rescinding a Biden 2024 rule that restricts oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.The announcement, made by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum during a town hall in Utqiagvik on Sunday evening, was met with widespread applause from North Slope residents, and strong endorsements from US Sen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Nick Begich.
Sen. Sullivan, who attended the town hall, emphasized that the Biden-era rule had ignored the voices of Alaskans and undermined the well-being of the North Slope’s Iñupiat communities.
“The announcement was roundly met with cheers from Alaskans of the North Slope, who understand better than anyone the proper balance between responsible oil production and the subsistence way of life they cherish,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan noted that responsible resource development in the NPR-A has helped bring essential services and infrastructure to remote villages.
“Responsible resource development has transformed the lives of the Iñupiat people, supporting the construction of clinics, gymnasiums, water infrastructure — basic amenities most Americans take for granted,” he said. “Thank you, Secretary Burgum, for respecting the voices of Alaskans, for standing up for the self-determination of the Iñupiat people, and for sharing this important announcement among the people who will most benefit from it.”
Congressman Begich echoed Sullivan’s praise, framing the decision as a win for Alaska’s right to shape its energy future and for Americans who support energy independence. “This decision is a major victory for Alaska and for every American who believes in energy independence and the rule of law,” Begich said.
He sharply criticized the 2024 NPR-A rule, saying it had been imposed without serious consultation with local communities and in violation of federal law.
“The 2024 restrictions in the NPR-A were imposed with no serious consideration provided to those who work and live in the region and in clear violation of the law — hindering Alaska’s right to responsibly develop our resources,” he said. “There is no question that the road to American prosperity begins in Alaska with our abundance of critical resources, and I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary Burgum for their leadership in restoring our right to shape Alaska’s energy future.”
Murkowski thanked Secretary Burgum for listening to Alaskans and recognizing the explicit legal purpose of the petroleum reserve.
“This is a victory not only for those who support responsible development, but also those who believe in the rule of law. The 2024 management rule clearly violated the law, establishing restrictions and a presumption against development as part of the last administration’s effort to turn the North Slope into one giant tract of federal wilderness. Repealing the rule will not weaken our world-class environmental standards, but it will enable Alaska to produce more energy as Congress intended. The result will be good jobs for Alaskans, more affordable energy for America, and significant new revenues for government,” she said.
The Department of the Interior stated that a legal and policy review found the 2024 rule “exceeds [the Bureau of Land Management’s] statutory authority under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976,” and “conflicts with the Act’s purpose.” The rule, finalized during the Biden Administration, had prevented lease sales and added new regulatory barriers to development across the 23-million-acre reserve.
Rescinding the rule will return management of the NPR-A to the regulatory framework that existed before May 2024. These previous rules allowed for responsible development while preserving wildlife and subsistence values through the Integrated Activity Plan process.
“Today another sanction on Alaska was lifted by the Trump Administration. This is great news for state’s economy and the nation’s energy supply,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Environmentalists were dismayed: “It’s hard to overstate the havoc this could wreak on the Western Arctic’s undisturbed habitat for caribou, polars bears and belugas,” said Marlee Goska, Alaska attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Trump’s fixation on plundering Alaska’s ecosystems for short-term gain is matched only by the stupidity of turning this precious place into a fossil fuel extraction site. Alaska’s vast expanses of wild lands are a big part of what makes our state so special, and we’ll do everything possible to protect these places.”
Brett Huber of Power the Future Alaska disputed that characterization.
“The usual chorus of overfunded environmental extremists will scream that the sky is falling, but this rollback simply restores the balance Congress intended,” Huber said. “It reopens the door to responsible, previously permitted development — development that protects sensitive lands and sustains the subsistence lifestyle of North Slope communities. This isn’t reckless expansion; it’s common-sense governance grounded in law and local reality. Power The Future considers this sound a timely action great news for energy workers, Alaska, and the nation.”
