The Biden Administration approved three out of five Alaskan drilling sites applied for by Conoco Philips.
Alaska’s Willow project will bring urgently needed gas and oil to the American energy market which is essential to recapturing energy independence and security.
However, the vacillating President, fearful of offending the climate change campaigners who influence his base, reduced the project by 40% and promised bans on future oil and gas development. Conoco Philips is being forced to relinquish 68,000 acres of existing leases. Obama-era bans on both onshore and offshore Alaska energy development are being expanded.
Adding the Willow project’s gas and oil brings sorely needed American oil and gas to the market. America produces commodities under the highest environmental standards. Yet by partially approving Willow, while impeding future energy development, the Biden Administration demonstrated its particular knack for approaching a goal with inadequate commitment to deliver the needed results.
Climate pressure groups are livid, despite the Biden Administration’s efforts to throttle back Willow. The Sierra Club accused the President of “putting profits over people.”
“The administration has no excuse for letting this project go forward in any form, and new Arctic drilling makes no sense. Even one new oil well in the Arctic is one well too many… particularly coming from an administration who has pledged to address the climate crisis, has pledged to address environmental injustice, has pledged to address the extinction crisis,” said the Center for Biological Diversity’s Kristen Monsell.
Six Green groups, including the Sierra Club, immediately filed a lawsuit seeking injunctive relief to block or slow down the Willow Project.
Half a loaf is better than none on energy, but America needs and deserves a full ration. Biden failed both to appease his Green base and deliver reliable energy at the scale required.