GAIN STATEMENT: Willow Project Will Strengthen America’s Global Energy Leadership
Today, the Biden administration approved the ConocoPhillips Willow Project in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. This large-scale project will produce millions of barrels of oil to help fuel America, promote affordable energy, and strengthen U.S. energy security.
Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition and former senior advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman:
“The Biden administration made the right decision to reapprove the ConocoPhillips Willow Project in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. This promising pocket holds up to 600 million barrels of oil and is projected to create thousands of new jobs. It will also help to strengthen America’s global energy leadership at an ideal time – as our allies in Europe increasingly rely on U.S. energy.
“This announcement also highlights the urgent need for permitting reform. The Willow Project was held up in bureaucratic red tape for nearly five years. This unnecessary delay was punishing for the communities in Alaska that needed the influx of jobs and revenue. Not to mention the impact this project could’ve had – if operational – on the record high gas prices we saw last year.
“While I hope that this decision reflects a permanent change in the Biden administration’s attitude towards domestic energy production and infrastructure, the administration’s simultaneous decision to ban 16 million acres of future oil and gas leases for the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean indicates that they are still focused on appeasing climate activists. I encourage the administration to look for opportunities, such as the Willow Project, to strengthen U.S. energy security.”
