The Biden administration has, from the word go, been unfriendly towards energy development, especially natural gas and oil. They have tried to suppress oil and gas production at every turn, nowhere more so than in Alaska, which has huge recoverable oil and gas reserves, not only on the North Slope but in the coastal waters in Cook Inlet and the Beaufort Sea.

Now, Alaska is suing the federal government over the administration's defiance--with a new decision dropped in December--of a Congressional directive mandating the development of these resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR.)

The State of Alaska filed a lawsuit against the federal government, alleging a violation of a congressional directive mandating the development of oil and gas resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s (ANWR) Coastal Plain.

Known as the Section 1002 Area, the 1.5 million-acre stretch of Alaska’s northern coast was designated by Congress in 1980 for potential energy development.

In 2017, Congress explicitly directed federal agencies to open the area for oil and gas leasing.

But a December, 2024 decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management significantly curtailed this directive.

Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a statement on the administration's actions, in which he noted that the swift filing of the lawsuit against Biden was merited, and expressed some optimism that things will be different under the incoming Trump administration; he is almost certainly correct. He said:

“Interior’s continued and irrational opposition under the Biden Administration to responsible energy development in the Arctic continues America on a path of energy dependence instead of utilizing the vast resources we have available. These resources not only help our energy independence as a nation but also grow the Alaska economy and put more money in the Alaska Permanent Fund for future generations.” 

While ANWR and the Alaskan energy production capacity in general is key to American energy independence, it's also a matter of vital importance to Alaskans.

See Related: Parting Outrage: Biden Sticks It to Alaska on His Way Out the Door

Drill, Baby, Drill: AK Governor Calls on Trump to Roll Back Drilling Restrictions

The North Slope oil and gas fields, of which ANWR is a key part, represent a significant portion of Alaska's economy. Almost everyone who lives in the Great Land either has or knows someone who does work on "The Slope." Not only is Alaska a key part of America's national security picture, occupying as it does a key position in the North Pacific, but it also plays an indispensable part in America's energy picture. The incoming administration can and should do a lot to kick-start Alaska's energy sector, mostly by opening up the 1002 Area for leasing - all of it.

This isn't the first such lawsuit Alaska has filed.

This lawsuit follows a July, 2024 filing by the State of Alaska seeking damages for billions in lost revenue after nine federal oil and gas leases in the Coastal Plain were canceled. That case remains pending.

The full complaint in the latest lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court. Read the complaint here.

The simple truth is that America needs gas and oil. Our economy runs on these fuels. Alaska has plenty of both. Alaska's economy runs in large part on these industries. We need to - once again - drill, baby, drill.