Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy has criticized President Biden and his administration for their approach to the oil and gas lease sale in Alaska. A leaked memo revealed that the administration had set the highest possible royalty fee for the lease sale due to climate change concerns, despite acknowledging that a lower price would provide “greater energy security.”
Governor Dunleavy accused the administration of prioritizing Venezuela over Alaska, tweeting that “2024 can’t come soon enough.”
The lease sale, which spanned 958,202 acres in the Cook Inlet off the coast of Alaska, saw the government charge drillers with an 18.75% royalty fee, as recommended by former Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Amanda Lefton.
This decision has drawn criticism from the fossil fuel industry and Republican lawmakers, who argue that the administration is putting its radical climate agenda ahead of the needs of the people of Alaska and the United States.
Summary:
Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy has criticized President Biden and his administration for their approach to the oil and gas lease sale in Alaska. Following a leaked memo revealing that the administration had set the highest possible royalty fee for the lease sale due to climate change concerns, despite acknowledging that a lower price would provide “greater energy security,” Governor Dunleavy accused the administration of prioritizing Venezuela over Alaska. The decision to charge an 18.75% royalty fee has drawn criticism from the fossil fuel industry and Republican lawmakers, who argue that the administration is putting its radical climate agenda ahead of the needs of the people of Alaska and the United States.
