ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin in Anchorage Daily News: “Alaska’s energy renaissance awaits, and the One Big Beautiful Bill is our key to unlocking it.”
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright outlined the impact President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) will have on unleashing energy and economic growth in Alaska following their travel to North Slope as part of President Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council.
OBBB will liberate Alaska from the federal overreach and radical environmentalism of the previous administration to unlock extraordinary resources, protect and create thousands of good-paying jobs, and boost state revenue while lowering energy costs for families. As Administrator Zeldin and Secretaries Burgum and Wright witnessed, Alaska stands ready to lead America into the Golden Age of energy dominance.
Read what Administrator Zeldin and Secretaries Burgum and Wright had to say in their exclusive op-ed for Anchorage Daily News:
“Americans have felt the impact of federal overreach and excessive red tape everywhere, from gas stations to grocery stores. Nowhere is that overreach more evident than in the efforts to hold back the American energy powerhouse of Alaska.
“For four years, the previous administration waged an unprecedented assault on Alaska’s sovereignty and ability to responsibly develop resources that could help power America’s Golden Age, devastating many Alaska communities left to contend with the consequences.
“President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill represents the most comprehensive energy and economic package in a generation, sending a clear signal that America is open for business. Alaska stands to benefit enormously from provisions that strategically unleash its bounty of natural resources. The state’s energy sector employs about 8% of all payrolls and generates nearly one-fifth of total business earnings, the fourth highest share of any state. This legislation will protect approximately 14,000 full-time equivalent jobs over the next four years while creating thousands more. Expanding these resources means lower energy costs, higher dividend checks and more jobs in the state.
“During our recent Alaska trip as President Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, we met with local communities, stakeholders and leaders to discuss unleashing American energy and reforming permitting processes. These conversations reinforced how critical this legislation is for Alaska’s future.
“The bill’s energy provisions directly address what we witnessed in Alaska: massive potential constrained by federal bureaucracy. By mandating six lease sales in the Cook Inlet and four lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with a 90/10 revenue split favoring Alaska by the end of the decade, Alaska is positioned to receive billions in state revenue and thousands of good-paying jobs. The legislation also directs at least 4 million acres be made available for coal leasing on federal lands, ensuring that Alaska’s abundant coal resources can finally contribute to America’s energy independence.
“With the passage of OBBB, Alaska will be liberated from the radical environmentalism that has kept its extraordinary resources locked away for far too long. It reverses the damage of the Biden administration by opening federal lands and waters to oil, gas, coal, geothermal and mineral leasing while rescinding every so-called ‘green’ corporate welfare subsidy from Democrats’ ‘Inflation Reduction Act.’”
“What makes OBBB truly transformative is how it connects energy dominance to broader American priorities, including expanding American energy leadership around the world and strengthening U.S. supply chains. The legislation will support the Alaska LNG project, a project that was highlighted in President Trump’s first address to Congress, by derisking major U.S. natural gas projects and ensuring the Energy Department has the tools to support critical projects like Alaska LNG.
“The previous administration violated the intended use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), repeatedly releasing crude oil into markets to manipulate gasoline prices instead of supporting U.S. oil production and the infrastructure needed to bring oil and its derivatives to market.
“SPR provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill allocate $2 billion to refill our emergency stockpiles, correcting the Biden administration’s reckless abuse of U.S. reserves while creating jobs and generating revenue.
“When we control our own energy resources, we’re not dependent on hostile nations or volatile international markets. This isn’t just about Alaska, it’s about projecting American strength globally.
“The bill will also deliver historic tax relief by making President Trump’s first-term tax cuts permanent, resulting in up to $13,300 more in take-home pay for families and wage increases of up to $11,600 per worker in Alaska.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill secures $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings — the largest single reduction in mandatory spending in our country’s history. Unlike the Biden administration’s $1.6 trillion in wasteful Green New Scam spending that picked winners and losers while driving up energy costs, this legislation helps pay for itself by unleashing economic growth and ending failed climate programs.
“Critics will claim we must choose between energy development and environmental protection, but this is a false choice. Alaska maintains some of the world’s strictest environmental standards. It is a real-life case study that proves America can produce and deliver energy, grow the economy, create jobs and simultaneously protect our environment.
“The consequences of failing to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill would be catastrophic for Alaska and America. Without extending the Trump tax cuts, we face the largest tax hike in history, a $4 trillion burden that would crush GDP, and raise unemployment.
“Alaska would lose jobs, wages, and economic output while American families remain reliant on foreign adversaries and hostile regimes for energy resources.
“Alaska stands ready to lead America into its Golden Age of success. Its extraordinary resource potential can power the Great American Comeback, but only if we unleash it.
“OBBB represents more than legislation — it’s a declaration of independence from the radical environmentalism of the left and a commitment to commonsense policies and unleashing American energy dominance.
“Alaska’s energy renaissance awaits, and the One Big Beautiful Bill is our key to unlocking it.”