According to a recent report, the expansion of oil drilling in Alaska could soon be on the horizon.
A report saying the Biden administration is poised to introduce that plan comes from The New York Times, which cited two sources familiar with the matter.
The Bureau of Land Management is said to be pushing for an environmental review that could see the administration endorse oil company ConocoPhillip’s plan, a modified version of it, or nothing at all.
ConocoPhillips had proposed its extensive $8 billion plan called the Willow Project, but the Biden administration has been cautious to move forward with it in full force. The Times reported that it is only now considering endorsing a limited version of the plan.
The expected project would open up the North Slope of Alaska to oil drilling and has the potential to see 600 million barrels of crude oil produced daily.
According to the report, the BLM in Alaska is preparing to say it has selected a “preferred alternative” for development on the National Petroleum Reserve. While the original plan asked for five new drilling sites to open up in the state, Biden’s plan would only open three.
While they are expected to move forward with the scaled-down plan, the move from President Biden and his administration is unexpected. Despite rising oil prices, he has stated his opposition to expanding domestic oil production for some time. His reluctance even came with gas prices hitting an all-time high last summer.
During his campaign in 2020, Biden pledged to end fossil fuels, saying there would be “no drilling” during his presidency. But now climate activists say this decision is undermining his promises to better the environment.
Still, the administration and the BLM aren’t just folding over as it is considering additional measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and environmental harm. This could include delaying permitting decisions for one of the drill sites and planting trees in the state, the report said.
The environmental analysis from the BLM is expected to come within days and could include recommendations for options that would allow for five drill sites or no drill sites at all. Still, this does not represent what the government will decide to do.
A decision from the Interior Department is expected to come within the next month, and it will ultimately be made by Biden and his top advisers.
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