The Department of Interior announced Friday that offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas are being left out of their five-year plan.
One oil and gas lease sale in Cook Inlet was included in the Department’s plan for 2017 through 2022 but none off of Alaska’s northern shore.
According to the draft plan released in March there were tracts considered for leasing in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas but Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says low interest in the Arctic led to the elimination.
Jewell says the plan focuses on the highest potential resources available with the lowest conflict and high costs of exploration on Alaska’s northern shores decreased interest.
Ten lease sales in the gulf of Mexico are included in the proposed final program while it leaves out oil leasing on the U.S. East Coast due to conflicts with the Navy and other user groups.
There are also no leases planned off the West Coast due to lack of interest according to Jewell.
Governor Bill Walker has responded to the decision:
“I am very disappointed with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s announcement today. Alaska supports a plan that balances subsistence concerns with our need for economic development. There is enough opportunity and protection in the plan that it should have been an easy decision to move forward with our proposal. The State nominated the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas to ensure Alaskans’ interests were protected in this process. The nominations provided subsistence protection, as well as the benefits under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). With the trans-Alaska pipeline three-quarters empty, we must spur more oil production. When Alaska became a state, the federal government mandated that we live off of our resources—but we must be able to access them. My administration will reconvene with the whaling communities and industry to determine next steps. ”
The U.S. delegation also responded, beginning with Senator Lisa Murkowski:
“President Obama is well aware that the vast majority of Alaskans want OCS development, and I am infuriated that he has once again ignored our voices to side with the factions who oppose it. We have shown that Arctic development is one of the best ways to create jobs, generate revenues, and refill the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Why the president is willing to send all of those benefits overseas is beyond explanation. And it is even more stunning that just one day after urging the new administration to stand up to Russia, he continues to cede leadership on Arctic energy production to them. I will do all that I can to counteract this shortsighted decision.”
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan:
“With this action, the Obama Administration is once again capitulating to the demands of extreme environmental groups over Alaskans and their fellow Americans who want good-paying jobs, energy independence and a strong economy. For nearly eight years this Administration has given lip service to an ‘all of the above energy strategy,’ when their actions say the opposite. As Alaska’s Attorney General, Commissioner for the Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Senator, I’ve fought this Administration every step of the way in their concerted efforts to lock up Alaska’s resources and turn our state into one giant national park. We will work hard to reverse the latest damage the Obama Administration has done to our citizens, economy and future. Let’s hope that this is the final chapter in the Obama Administration’s harmful legacy of putting the interests of anti-energy activists over those of hard-working Alaskans and their families. Our state and country still have a promising future in responsible resource development. I am hopeful that with the incoming Trump Administration we will be able to reach our potential as a state and nation in this important area.”
And Representative Don Young:
“For years, the Obama Administration has tried to convince the American people that it supports an “all-of-the-above” energy policy. Yet, it has consistently delivered crippling blows to the Alaskan people in the form of new regulatory obstacles, insurmountable roadblocks, and overly prescriptive regulations – making in nearly impossible for new development to occur. Today’s announcement – politically driven and meant to appease the nation’s most extreme environmental groups – represents some of the worst decision making we’ve seen over the last eight years. I truly wish I could say I was surprised, but this administration has never been serious about Arctic OCS development. With the writing on the wall, we’ve taken numerous steps in Congress to enhance Arctic lease sales – going as far as passing an amendment to the House Interior Appropriations bill that would have prevented this lease removal from taking place. Make no mistake, this blatant disregard for Alaska’s social and economic future will be overturned. The Obama Administration has simply added one more obstacle to the list.”
