Interior Proposes Repealing Biden-Era Drilling Limits on 13 Million Acres in Alaska

The Trump administration says the 2024 rule illegally blocked oil and gas development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve.

Fish Creek through the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Alaska's North Slope, on July 8, 2004. David W. Houseknecht/United States Geological Survey via AP

The Department of the Interior on June 2 formally proposed rescinding a 2024 rule that imposed new limits on oil and gas activity across Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, calling the Biden-era policy an overreach that hinders domestic energy production.

The move would eliminate restrictions covering roughly 13 million acres and restore a previous regulatory framework that governed leasing before the rule took effect in 2024.

“Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America’s energy security through responsible development,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.

“The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production and undermining our ability to harness domestic resources at a time when American energy independence has never been more critical. We’re restoring the balance and putting our energy future back on track.”

The rule, finalized under the Biden administration in May 2024, closed about 11 million acres of the 23.5-million-acre reserve to all oil and gas extraction and restricted construction on approximately 2 million more acres. The Bureau of Land Management said at the time that it was meant to protect surface resources and subsistence values in newly designated special areas.

The rule immediately drew legal challenges from the state of Alaska, ConocoPhillips, and other leaseholders, who argued that it unlawfully curtailed development and exceeded the agency’s statutory authority.

“The rule effectively precludes approval of any new oil exploration and production activities and sets aside over half of the Petroleum Reserve as de facto off limits for resource production,” the state wrote in its lawsuit last year.

In the June 2 announcement, Interior officials said their review found that the rule conflicted with the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976. That law directs the government to pursue an “expeditious program of competitive leasing” while balancing environmental safeguards.

A federal judge ruled earlier this year that the Biden administration had also acted unlawfully when it canceled oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The court found that the Department of the Interior needed a court order to revoke those leases, which had been awarded at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term.

“Today’s decision by Judge Gleason proves that federal agencies with a political agenda to shut down Alaska and keep Alaskans from good-paying jobs must still follow the laws set by Congress,” Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority Executive Director Randy Ruaro said after the March ruling by Judge Sharon Gleason of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

The proposed rollback is consistent with Trump’s January executive orders declaring a national energy emergency and directing federal agencies to remove barriers to fossil fuel production, particularly in Alaska.

Interior Secretary Burgum, who also chairs the National Energy Dominance Council, has since ordered agencies to prioritize energy development across federal lands.

Burgum is scheduled to visit Alaska this week, alongside the heads of the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. The group plans to tour the Prudhoe Bay oil field and meet with tribal and industry leaders, including at Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s energy conference.

“I’m thankful we have an administration in the White House that recognizes Alaska’s unique value,” Dunleavy said in a post on social media ahead of the trip.

The National Petroleum Reserve was created in 1923 and transferred to the Department of the Interior in 1976. It spans 23 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope and was originally established as a fuel source for the U.S. Navy. Officials said current development will continue to be governed by earlier regulations that included protections through the Integrated Activity Plan process.

Environmental groups criticized the administration’s broader push to expand Arctic drilling. In response to the trip by Trump officials this week, the Alaska Wilderness League said in a post on social media platform X that the Arctic Refuge “isn’t a blank check for drilling—Alaska deserves responsible solutions that protect its environment and communities.”

In another post on June 2, the group quoted its senior policy director, Andy Moderow, who stated, “We should be looking at climate solutions that work for Alaskans, not trying to open up places that industry is taking a pass on.”

Jacob Burg and Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.