Oil drilling push in Alaska faces setback as no bids emerge

A government auction to lease drilling rights in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ended without bids, reflecting weak industry interest despite renewed Republican support for oil extraction there.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

In short:

The Interior Department's lease sale offered 400,000 acres of the Arctic refuge, but no oil companies submitted bids.
The refuge, home to wildlife and considered sacred by the Gwich’in people, has long been contested ground in U.S. energy policy debates.
Republicans argue that opening the refuge could boost Alaska's economy, while environmental groups claim the region is too fragile for industrial activity.

Key quote:

“The lack of interest from oil companies in development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge reflects what we and they have known all along: There are some places too special and sacred to exploit with oil and gas drilling.”

— Laura Daniel-Davis, acting deputy secretary of the Interior Department

Why this matters:

The failure of the lease sale highlights a shift in energy priorities, with companies hesitant to invest in environmentally sensitive regions. The result also suggests doubts about the economic viability of Arctic drilling despite political pressure to expand domestic energy production.

www.nytimes.com

Oil drilling push in Alaska faces setback as no bids emerge

‘It fully changed my life!’ How young rewilders transformed a farm – and began a movement

How China silences environmental reporters beyond its borders

This former oil worker is now exposing dirty methane emissions

The secret to tackling the climate crisis could be right under our feet. Here’s why

How batteries, not natural gas, can power the data center boom

Donald Trump exempts coal in steelmaking from Clean Air Act

Republican split widens as Texas regulator bashes carbon capture

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.