WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior is moving to streamline permitting for oil and gas infrastructure in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a step that could accelerate development activity across the 23-million-acre federal reserve as the Trump administration pushes to expand domestic energy production.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the effort after the Alaska Oil and Gas Association submitted a petition asking the Bureau of Land Management to establish a new permitting framework for qualifying production sites and related infrastructure within the reserve.
The proposed approach would create a development permit program covering projects that meet predefined criteria, with the goal of reducing regulatory delays for North Slope oil infrastructure. Federal officials noted that the Bureau of Land Management has already evaluated similar development activity through projects including Greater Mooses Tooth One and Two, Willow and Alpine.
“Industry has shown for years that energy development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska can be done responsibly,” Burgum said. He added that the administration aims to provide companies with greater regulatory certainty to support investment and job creation.
As part of the process, the Bureau of Land Management will begin a 45-day public scoping period tied to an environmental impact statement examining production site development within the reserve. Public comments will be accepted through the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act project portal.
Interior stated that the effort could lead to a formal rulemaking process that would evaluate and potentially refine the trade group’s proposal.
The initiative follows a series of administration actions aimed at expanding energy development in the reserve, including the rescission of a 2024 rule that restricted leasing activity and an updated Integrated Activity Plan reopening nearly 82% of the reserve to oil and gas leasing.
Federal officials reported that roughly 1.6 million acres are currently under lease in the reserve, with additional leases expected following a March 2026 lease sale that generated approximately $163.7 million in bids. The sale drew bids on 187 tracts, marking the highest revenue total in the program’s history, according to the department.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.