By Suzanne Downing 
The Department of the Interior on Thursday opened the door to massive new offshore oil and gas opportunities, particularly for Alaska, by announcing its intent to terminate the restrictive Biden-era 2024–2029 leasing plan and replace it with a far more expansive program by 2026.
For Alaska, the proposal is a dramatic reversal from the punishing policies of the Biden Administration. The draft 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program includes 21 potential lease areas off Alaska’s coast, returning the state to the center of America’s long-term energy strategy after years of curtailed leasing in the Arctic and Cook Inlet.
The department’s announcement aligns with the new administration’s pledge to restore “American Energy Dominance,” and it further elevates Alaska’s role in a future national production portfolio that depends heavily on offshore planning and multi-year investment.
The proposed 2026–2031 program outlines up to 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing OCS planning areas, covering roughly 1.27 billion acres nationwide. In addition to the 21 Alaska areas, the plan includes seven in the Gulf of America and six along the Pacific Coast. Interior is also proposing creation of a new administrative planning area in the South-Central Gulf of America.
According to Interior, the Biden administration’s prior plan was the smallest leasing schedule ever published, offering just three sales over five years.
The new approach, the department says, rebuilds the long-term pipeline needed to sustain future domestic production—something especially relevant in regions like Alaska, where exploration lead times can stretch for many years.
The new proposal implements Executive Order 14154 and supplements Secretary’s Order 3418, both titled “Unleashing American Energy,” which direct Interior bureaus to accelerate responsible development consistent with federal law. The department says the goal is to strengthen investment confidence, support domestic jobs, and secure long-term U.S. energy supply.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires that each five-year leasing program balance national energy demand with environmental, economic, and social considerations. Interior says this draft proposal was shaped by more than 86,000 public comments submitted earlier this year.
A 60-day public comment period begins when the draft is published in the Federal Register on Nov. 24. Additional proposals will follow before the final program is approved.
As of September, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management oversaw 2,073 active offshore leases totaling 11.2 million acres. Offshore operations currently produce about 15% of America’s domestic oil, and the federal OCS is estimated to hold roughly 68.8 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 229 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Interior emphasized that the inclusion of any planning area—including those off Alaska—does not guarantee it will appear in the final leasing plan. Each sale would require environmental review, analysis, and additional public comment.
Maps and additional documents will be available at boem.gov/National-Program.
E.O.’s and administrative actions are only good until the next administration. Keep it conservative!
Drill baby drill.
Just wait until you need to cleanup a spill under the ice in the High Arctic. Spill, baby, spill.
Good luck to all.