Biden Ban Hits Alaskan Oil Drilling

President Biden’s administration has dealt another blow to U.S. energy independence by declaring vast tracts of Alaskan oil closed to new drilling. The decision encompasses over 13 million acres including the entirety of the U.S. Arctic Ocean’s available shores 11 million acres of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve and nearly 3 million acres of coastal waters.

The White House claims the sweeping directive will conserve “ecological and cultural resources.” However Dustin Meyer senior vice president of policy at the American Petroleum Institute criticized the decision as detrimental to U.S. energy prospects.

“This misguided rule sharply limits future oil and natural gas development in a region explicitly intended by Congress to bolster America’s energy security” Meyer told Politico. He also pointed to the detrimental effect the ban will have on national security and economic growth.

Locals will feel a serious impact from the ban, as a primary source of employment disappears from the area. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) stood up against the ban affecting his state, accusing President Biden of appeasing “far-left radicals” at the expense of the nation’s geopolitical stance.

The crackdown follows other regulation that has increased costs on oil producers. On top of this, Biden is reportedly considering a national climate emergency declaration that would further impact the energy sector and bring prices up even further.

The Biden administration’s latest policy decisions show that they are doubling down on the damaging agenda they brought with them when entering the White House without taking into account the damage it’s caused.

Critics argue that restricting domestic energy development could inadvertently strengthen geopolitical rivals who are less inhibited in exploiting their natural resources. Energy independence has been a cornerstone of America’s national security strategy for more than a century.

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