Juneau: The state of Alaska has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, accusing it of violating a Congressional directive that mandates oil and gas development in part of the federal Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in Alaska, challenges the federal government’s December 2024 decision to offer oil and gas drilling leases in the coastal plain area, but with restrictions.
The legal action asserts that the imposed limitations on surface use and occupancy would make it “impossible or impracticable to develop” approximately 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) that the U.S. Interior Department plans to auction this month to oil and gas companies. According to the lawsuit, these restrictions would severely hinder any future exploration and drilling efforts in the refuge.
“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,” Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy stated in response.
Alaska is seeking to have the December decision reversed and to prevent the department from issuing leases during the upcoming auction. The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the Bureau of Land Management declined to provide further information.
The lawsuit highlights the economic impact on Alaska, pointing out that, combined with the cancellation of leases granted during the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency, the state will only receive a fraction of the $1.1 billion in revenue that the Congressional Budget Office had previously projected from energy development in the area.
This lawsuit represents Alaska’s ongoing legal battle against the Biden administration’s efforts to preserve the 19.6-million-acre (8-million-hectare) ANWR, which is home to species such as polar bears and caribou. In October 2023, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority filed a separate lawsuit challenging the administration’s decision to cancel seven leases it had previously held. Another state lawsuit in July 2024 sought to recover lost revenue due to these cancellations.
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Drilling in the ANWR has been a contentious issue for decades, with fierce political battles between environmentalists and Alaska’s political leaders, who have long supported development in the coastal plain. In 2017, Alaska lawmakers secured this opportunity through a provision in a tax cut bill backed by President Trump. In the final days of Trump’s administration, nine 10-year leases were issued for drilling in the refuge.
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Under the Biden administration, however, two lease winners withdrew from their holdings in 2022. Additionally, in September 2024, the Interior Department canceled seven leases granted to the state industrial development authority.
