Biden Approves Massive Oil Project Over Green Fears
John Hugh DeMastri on March 13, 2023
The Biden administration formally approved Willow, an $8 billion oil drilling project located in Alaska, Monday morning, over the objection of climate activists who lobbied heavily against it.
The massive project, operated by American energy firm ConocoPhillips, is projected to produce roughly 600 million barrels of oil over a 30-year lifespan, The New York Times reported. In a bid to placate environmentalists, the administration had considered limiting the project to just two drill sites, down from the five that ConocoPhillips initially proposed, but the company and Alaskan lawmakers warned that the project would need at least three to be economically viable, according to CNN.
“The President and the Biden-Harris administration continue to deliver on the most aggressive climate agenda in American history, including the creation of clean energy manufacturing and jobs,” the Department of Interior (DOI) said in a press release accompanying the decision. “He has secured record investments in climate resilience and environmental justice. And his economic agenda has put the United States back on track to reach its climate goals for 2030 and 2050 all while reducing America’s reliance on oil.”
The administration also took steps limit future oil and gas drilling in the Natural Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, where Willow is located, by designating more than 13 million of the 23 million acre reserve as “Special Areas,” the DOI said in its press release. With the administration having few options to limit Willow directly, these designations are intended to create a “firewall” to prevent future oil and gas drilling in the region, one administration official told Bloomberg.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Daily Caller News Foundation request for comment.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].