Alaska Archives

Interior Department Advances First OBBBA Offshore Lease Sales

November 7, 2025 by Justin Williams

For Immediate Release: Friday, November 7, 2025
NOIA Contact: jwilliams@nullnoia.org

Interior Department Advances First OBBBA Offshore Lease Sales

Washington, D.C. – National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito issued the following statement after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released the Final Notice of Sale for Big Beautiful Gulf 1 and the Proposed Notice of Sale for Big Beautiful Cook Inlet 1:

"BOEM’s actions are an important step forward in responsibly developing our offshore energy resources. Moving ahead with the first lease sales under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act gives companies the certainty they need to invest, which sustains jobs and strengthens U.S. energy and national security. In the global competition for energy, the Gulf of America provides among the lowest carbon intensity barrels for purposes of supplying the U.S. economy and our allies with a secure source of energy.

"And this isn’t just about the Gulf of America or Alaska; these lease sales have an impact across the country. Offshore energy supports workers and supply chains in every state, and the revenues generated fund programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, delivering resources to coastal and urban communities nationwide. With these sales moving forward, America’s offshore energy frontier continues to anchor our economy, strengthen national security, and support communities in all 50 states."

About NOIA
The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public and our environment.

Interior Department Sets Offshore Energy Leasing Schedule

August 19, 2025 by Justin Williams

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, August 19, 2025
NOIA Contact: jwilliams@nullnoia.org

Interior Department Sets Offshore Energy Leasing Schedule,
A predictable leasing schedule means more investment, more jobs, and stronger U.S. energy security.

Washington, D.C. – National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito issued the following statement after the Department of the Interior released its offshore leasing schedule under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA):

"Today’s announcement restores the stability needed to keep America’s offshore energy future strong. A clear, long-term schedule of lease sales in the Gulf of America and Alaska’s Cook Inlet gives companies the certainty to invest, sustaining jobs and strengthening U.S. energy security.

"This leasing schedule reaches far beyond the Gulf coast. Offshore energy supports workers and supply chains in every state, while revenues fund programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund delivering resources to every county in every state in America. With this schedule in place, the Gulf of America will continue to anchor our economy, bolster national security, and support communities across all 50 states.”

About NOIA
The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public and our environment.

Obama’s Last-Minute Offshore Drilling Ban Could Be Illegal

December 30, 2016 by Justin Williams

Daily Caller | December 22, 2016 | Andrew Follett

Outgoing President Barack Obama used his executive authority to “permanently” ban oil drilling in parts of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, but this move may be illegal, according to an industry group.

Obama’s administration used a legal strategy crafted by environmental activists to remove sections of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans from future offshore drilling lease sales, which they claim will be “permanent.”

“It is pretty clear that this is a hollow 11th hour action,” Christopher Guith, a senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “In spite of the narrative that extreme interest groups who pushed the White House to do this, there’s nothing about this that’s permanent. The White House itself didn’t use the phrase permanent, they said it was ‘indefinite.'”

The administration and its environmental allies used Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, a 1953 law governing offshore drilling, in an unprecedented way to block offshore drilling leases in the Atlantic Ocean and the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.

“This flies in the face of how we do offshore leasing,” Guith continued. “Every 5 years, we have to do a new offshore leasing plan. There’s already precedent for a new President rescinding his predecessors withdrawal. George W. Bush rescinded Clinton’s offshore drilling ruling already when gas prices were high.”

Environmentalists hope it will take Trump or Congress years to repeal an Obama decision to permanently keep Arctic and Atlantic areas off limits to drilling, but a simple lawsuit could overturn all of that.

“I’d be very suprised if somebody like the State of Alaska or an industry group didn’t sue President Obama immediately,” Guith told TheDCNF.” There are a lot of questions about whether Obama’s ruling followed the law. By the time it gets to court, the Obama administration is now the Trump administration. That will be a huge policy difference.”

Read the full story here.

The future of the Arctic

November 18, 2016 by Justin Williams

The Hill | November 18, 2016 | Senator Mark Begich

During my time serving in the United States Senate, I witnessed my fair share of partisan rhetoric—especially when it came to Alaska’s energy potential. While politicians like to use the future of the Arctic as a political hot potato, the truth is that the Arctic can and should be a key component of America’s comprehensive energy plan.

Developing our Arctic resources means we can continue to ensure the Arctic is well managed by our neighbors while replacing the oil we are buying from foreign and often hostile countries. It also means creating jobs here at home and controlling energy costs for American families. Production in the U.S. means more royalties and revenue coming to federal, state and local governments rather than to countries whose policies we may or may not support. The bottom line is that there is much to gain from responsible development here at home.

As designated by law, every five years, the Department of the Interior assesses which parcels of federal land and waters are eligible for oil and gas lease sales. What has become clear to me, and to many of us across Alaska, is that if Alaska’s offshore is not included in the next lease sale, due to be announced any day now, one of America’s last great energy opportunities may never be developed.

The Obama Administration has already demonstrated they understand the value of harnessing America’s energy potential. After 25 years of stalled progress under several administrations, the Obama Administration permitted oil and gas exploration in waters off Alaska’s North Slope and allowed work to get underway in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), which is expected to produce 18 million barrels of oil per year. Just last week, Amy Pope, the Vice Chair of the White House Arctic Executive Steering Committee and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor reiterated that the Arctic will “likely continue to provide valuable supplies to meet U.S. energy needs into the future.” As we approach the final months of this Administration, I hope we will see continued support for maintaining access to America’s diverse energy sources.

Promising discoveries such as the recent Smith Bay find near NPR-A may harness as much as 10 billion barrels of oil. These discoveries, coupled with the great potential in Alaska’s federal waters, can keep the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) supplying west coast states with critically needed fuel. Of course, there will be no discoveries to be had if federal access is not granted; making inclusion of Arctic waters a key aspect of America’s future energy supply.

Read the full op-ed here.

Former Sen. Mark Begich represented Alaska in the Senate from 2009-2015. He is now the President and CEO of Northern Compass Group located in Anchorage, Alaska. He also serves as a Strategic Advisor to Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

Arctic energy could boost maritime industry

November 18, 2016 by Justin Williams

FuelFix | November 18, 2016 | Matthew Paxton

With all of the amazing innovation going into transportation these days, those unaware might not envisage that such a historic trade as shipbuilding has a place. But in fact, the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry continues to support more than 500,000 jobs nationwide and contributes over $39 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

Ships, however, are only as good as the jobs that they are applied to – one of which is supporting oil and gas production. Boasting more coastline than the lower 48 states and the possibility for production of several billion barrels of oil, Alaska is representative of the vast potential that America’s Arctic waters hold for the future of the shipbuilding industry. That is if the Arctic leases remain in the Obama Administration’s Five Year Plan.

As president of the Shipbuilders Council of America, I am proud to represent an organization that has advocated for the needs and the benefit of America’s shipping fleet for almost 100 years, including those of the energy industry. In supporting the production and transport of energy resources, the oil and gas industry – and particularly the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf – spurs Arctic communities to be more connected due to the infrastructure that offshore projects help create. Among other things, Arctic OCS exploration typically requires deep water ports, response ships, and landing strips, all of which would keep those workers safe with the added benefit of keeping our economy moving, and aid our national security capabilities across such a vast territory.

Despite this, activists continue to try to close the door on countless opportunities in the Arctic that would positively impact not just the energy industry and its thousands of jobs, but also other associated offshore industries. Without offshore energy development, many of those crucial infrastructure projects – roads, ports, harbors – may not be completed or maintained. At the same time, international Arctic traffic is expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades, so our communities and businesses must be adequately prepared to address the subsequent safety and commercial needs.

Read the full op-ed here.

Matthew Paxton is president of the Shipbuilders Council of America, the national trade association representing the U.S. shipyard industry.