Alaska sues Biden administration over well drilling restrictions

Alaska state authorities have sued the administration of the current U.S. President Joe Biden over limited rights to drill oil wells in the coastal zone of the United States. This was reported by Reuters on January 8.

According to its data, the Biden administration calls the lack of restrictions a violation of the congressional directive to authorize oil and gas development in part of the federal Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"A lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Alaska challenging the federal government's December 2024 decision to lease oil and gas wells in an area known as the coastal plain with restrictions," the piece elaborates.

The lawsuit said the restrictions on land use and settlement make it "impossible or impractical to develop" 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares), Gazeta.Ru added.

In April 2024, it was reported that the Biden administration is reducing drilling and oil and gas production in Alaska. At the same time, Republican senators from Alaska and a number of other states held a press conference on April 18, at which they criticized the decision.

That same month, an event sponsored by the energy company Chevron in Washington, D.C., honoring Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Ann Merkausky was disrupted by the eco-activist group Climate Defiance.