Let the drill, baby, drill games begin! The Department of the Interior has announced major oil and natural gas drilling permit sales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet and the Gulf of America. This is the realization of one of President Trump’s major campaign promises, as well as a boost for American energy independence – and for American consumers. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum recently announced the lease sales.
It’s a new day in the energy sector.
The Department of the Interior is rolling out a long-term offshore oil and gas leasing schedule in the Gulf of America and Alaska’s Cook Inlet, delivering on President Donald Trump’s promise to expand US energy production and secure American energy independence. The program is a key provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1), signed earlier this year by the president.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a landmark step toward unleashing America’s energy potential,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re putting in place a bold, long-term program that strengthens American Energy Dominance, creates good-paying jobs and ensures we continue to responsibly develop our offshore resources.”
Not to mention increasing oil and natural gas inventories, which will lower prices. And, since energy is at the heart of everything we do, every economic decision we make, increasing those inventories will be good for the economy across the board.
Maybe we can even get the Strategic Petroleum Reserve filled back up. Once it’s repaired, that is, after the Biden administration’s draining of the reserves for political purposes, followed by months of neglect.
The long-term leasing program marks a sharp departure from the Biden administration and former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who spent four years crushing Alaska’s energy potential. Under Biden, lease sales in Cook Inlet were canceled and delayed, access to federal lands and waters was restricted, and regulatory hurdles multiplied by the dozens, effectively shutting down opportunities for Alaskans to develop their own resources.
The Trump-Burgum approach flips that script, restoring certainty and signaling that Alaska’s energy wealth will once again be tapped to strengthen America’s economy and security.
Cook Inlet is significant, not only because of the ease of shipping the extracted oil and gas to refineries without the need for a state-spanning pipeline, but because Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, depends largely on Cook Inlet natural gas for winter heating. Heating, as one might guess, is kind of a critical item in Alaska.
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The number of leases is significant in the Gulf of America as well, and will be a major economic driver for the Gulf states in particular.
The plan calls for at least 30 lease sales in the Gulf of America through 2032, reaffirming the Gulf’s role as the backbone of offshore energy. The region accounts for about 14 to 15% of US crude oil output, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, and drives tens of billions in annual economic activity. By locking in a predictable sale schedule, the administration aims to provide energy producers with the certainty needed for long-term investment in offshore infrastructure.
The contrast to the energy-unfriendly Biden administration couldn’t be more stark. Leases were canceled; instead of “drill, baby, drill,” it was “windmill, solar panel, baby, and pay $5 a gallon for gas.” Many things can influence an economy, but energy is almost certainly the biggest. High energy prices are inflationary; they fall disproportionately on the people least able to afford them.
That’s all changing now. American energy policy is getting set back on track. And, nope, we’re not tired of winning yet. Not by a long shot.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and bold policies, America’s economy is back on track.
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