Trump Cabinet Officials Visit Alaska to Promote Arctic Energy Development

Three high-level Trump administration officials—Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin—visited Alaska to advance oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and revive the stalled Alaska LNG project. Their visit followed President Trump's executive order aimed at boosting oil, gas, mining, and logging activities on federal lands in the state. The officials held meetings with energy stakeholders, state leaders including Governor Mike Dunleavy, and U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski to discuss reducing permitting barriers and expanding energy infrastructure. Zeldin emphasized balancing environmental protection with economic growth, highlighting the administration's deregulatory approach. The delegation toured Prudhoe Bay and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, underscoring Alaska's strategic importance for national energy production and exports to international partners, including Asian countries. Environmental groups criticized the focus on fossil fuels, but the administration framed the efforts as key to unleashing Alaska's resource potential and economic development.