Trump issues executive order to potentially expand offshore energy development in the Arctic, Atlantic
The Trump Administration recently issued an executive order that removes Alaskan Arctic leasing withdrawals, instructs the Department of the Interior (DOI) to conduct a review of the areas available for leasing, and orders a review of offshore development regulations.
Under the executive order, the DOI will conduct a review of the 2017 to 2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, finalized by the Obama Administration in November 2016.
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) joined President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for the signing ceremony last week.
“Alaska is on the brink of leading our country into a new energy renaissance,” Sullivan said. “With a White House working with Congress—and acting as a partner with Alaska—responsible production of our energy resources will strengthen our national security, provide good jobs for thousands of Alaskans, and help grow the economies of our state and our country.”
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, issued a statement on the executive order stressing environmental concerns as well as concerns about the harm an oil spill could cause to coastal economies.
“When it comes to meeting our country’s energy needs, we cannot be narrow-minded or wed to the dirty fossil fuels of the past,” Carper said. “We should instead be looking to the future and pursuing sustainable energy policies that make America a global leader for years to come.”
