Green light for drilling in Alaska

Joe Biden He is a man with long and experienced political experience, which made him a pragmatist. The US President prefers caution and gradual strategies over extremism and declarations: The White House moves to not stop the Alaska National Petroleum Reserve (Npr-A) drilling permit granted in late 2020 by Donald Trump to ConocoPhillips It can be analyzed from different points of view in light of this interpretation.

Of course, Biden promised and launched industrial and material investment plans to strengthen an extensive and efficient supply chain for renewables and implement ambitious programs. Environmental transformation It aims to support decarbonization of the stars and stripes economy by mid-century. But at the same time he knows very well that the transition is a gradual process and that it must be governed by the appropriate political methods of intervention and to surrender completely to the extremes of the left. Democratic Party Strongly opposed to new permits on the oil and gas front, training and complexity of the same projects could be divided to promote energy diversification.

In February, an appeals court halted construction of the $ 2 billion ConocoPhillips crude oil project in Alaska. On Wednesday, May 26th Ministry of Justice The US Secretary of State reiterated his assertion that the United States government would continue to support the opportunity to build the extraction plant in its concession. NPR-A is an area of ​​just under 100,000 square kilometers in northwest Alaska, overlooking the waters of the Arctic Ocean, and administered by the Department of Home Affairs through the Bureau of Land and Border Management L ‘ARTIC National Wildlife RefugeIn the past, Donald Trump had thought about openness to exploitation for extraction and energy purposes.

Biden He has repeatedly reiterated his goal of continuing on the path of decarbonization, but at the same time he knows how American politics and the economy work. The first question that arises Continuation Administrative, for projects and investments already underway that would send a problematic signal, given also the size of the bets: Willow field, notice StartMag, Can contain “590 million barrels of recoverable oil and could produce up to 160,000 barrels per day by 2024, according to earlier estimates by ConocoPhillips.” Halting the potential return in production and employment for a federal land project approved by Washington government authorities would be risky.

Second, Biden has a practical need linked to the desire to keep an open channel of communication with the Republican Party. Formally a minority in the House and Senate, but with small margins in favor of the donkey party, continued dialogue is necessary. Bountyry as a Senator from West Virginia Joe Mansion Thorne’s “side” of the more progressive policies of the White House, it allows for ongoing dialogue with the great old party whose potential votes Biden could look to if some of the proposals did not garner the support of the Democratic Left. Among the Republicans most attentive to the White House is there Lisa Murkowski The Senator has been from Alaska since December 2002 and for six years, from 2015 to February, has been chairing the Energy Committee on Capitol Hill. Away from Donald Trump’s positions, Which he did not support during the 2016 presidential raceMurkowski aims to be re-elected in the 2022 mid-term elections and to ensure growing economic and social security for the United States of America’s Great North. Which inevitably goes through energy asset management.

With fellow Republican and 2nd Senator from Alaska, And Sullivan, Murkowski maintains an active conversation with the White House, which she described as fruitful and cordial. Recently, Biden greeted the two of the crowd specifically to talk about the ConocoPhillips project: There is interest on both sides not to raise the level of engagement and calm the atmosphere. There will be time and energy to transition: Biden needs to build a relationship of mutual trust with Republicans who are more open to dialogue, and the big old party needs to find space to implement concrete proposals at a stage they see in the minority. . In particular, the more pragmatic, non-radical parts of Biden’s agenda Alexandria Ocasio Cortez And the rest of the left, Marca is an excellent meeting ground.