Energy Workforce & Technology Council President Tim Tarpley said the following in response to the Biden Administration’s approval of the Willow project off the North Slope of Alaska. The President also announced his Administration will block any future offshore leasing in the Arctic Ocean and plans to block 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska from future leasing.
“Energy Workforce applauds the Biden Administration for approving the long-awaited Willow project in Alaska’s North Slope region,” Tarpley said. “The project will bring thousands of jobs to the area, billions in revenue for the state, and produce roughly 600 million barrels of oil over the lifetime of the project. Investments in domestic energy, including oil and gas, are essential for our economic and national security and that of our allies. However, the process for approving these projects must be streamlined, and not take a decade to decide, shorting our nation of vital energy resources.”
“We are also very concerned with the Administration’s decision to close the entire Arctic ocean to oil and gas exploration and plans to take 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska off the table for future exploration. It is predicted that global demand for oil and gas will increase at the very least through 2050. Closing off areas for future domestic production while demand is on the rise is counterproductive and puts our energy security, and that of our allies around the world, at risk.”
“The Biden Administration should shore up our national, energy and economic security by investing in U.S. energy resources, including oil and gas by opening federal lands and waters for exploration, backing permitting reform to implement projects in a timely manner and stopping the vilification of the industry. Oil and gas produced in the United States is some of cleanest produced product in the worldwide market.”
