The Interior Department on Thursday finalized a rule to open up about half of a largely untouched reserve in northern Alaska to oil and gas drilling.
The action completes the Trump administration’s rollback of a 2024 rule that had blocked oil and gas drilling on 11 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), which is the largest swath of public land in the U.S.
The Trump administration has said it’s working to “unleash” energy development in Alaska with drilling on the roughly 23 million-acre reserve, as well as in the nearby Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The move Thursday reversed a decision made under former President Joe Biden.
“By rescinding the 2024 rule, we are following the direction set by President [Donald] Trump to unlock Alaska’s energy potential, create jobs for North Slope communities and strengthen American energy security,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement Thursday. “This action restores common-sense management and ensures responsible development benefits both Alaska and the nation.”
