LEE ZELDIN: Start your rigs: Alaska is our 'Gateway to Energy Dominance'

Alaska stands arsenic an American vigor powerhouse, a captious gateway to vigor dominance, economical prosperity and nationalist security.

The 49th authorities holds fractional of U.S. ember resources, the country’s fourth-largest proved crude lipid reserves, and the second-largest proved earthy state reserves down Texas. 

On his archetypal time successful office, President Donald Trump recognized these untapped opportunities and issued an important enforcement order, Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential. 

President Donald Trump holds up an executive bid connected American vigor accumulation aft signing it during a ceremonial successful the East Room of the White House connected April 8, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

He declared that processing Alaska’s vigor resources would assistance present terms alleviation for Americans and make high-quality jobs for our citizens portion resolving commercialized imbalances and bolstering the nation’s workout of planetary vigor dominance.

ONE STATE’S NATURAL RESOURCES CAN FINALLY PUT AN END TO AMERICA’S RELIANCE ON CHINA

America should not person to trust connected overseas vigor sources to substance our cars and vigor our homes. It’s expensive, and those countries extremity up with leverage implicit the United States. 

Anyone who lived done the 1973 Arab lipid embargo marked by agelong gasoline lines and substance shortages understands this vulnerability.

Producing much of our resources – oil, gas, ember – astatine location lowers the terms of vigor utilized for energy and proscription fuel, which helps bring much affordable goods and services to Americans.

President Trump’s EO ended the battle connected Alaska’s sovereignty and its quality to responsibly make these resources for the payment of the nation. He reversed punitive restrictions implemented by the erstwhile medication that prevented the U.S. from producing American vigor connected some authorities and national lands successful Alaska, which tin present assistance spark an vigor and economical revival.

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS PURSUING ENERGY DOMINANCE — CONGRESS SHOULDN'T GET IN THE WAY

Alaska’s Energy Goldmine

All of this settled successful arsenic I traversed the large authorities of Alaska past week with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. Dan Sullivan and the state’s governor, Mike Dunleavy.

From the Arctic Coastal Plain to the North Slope, the imaginable held wrong Alaska’s bastion of earthy resources was clear. 

The U.S. Geological Survey says Alaska has astatine slightest 160 cardinal abbreviated tons, and perchance up to 5.5 trillion abbreviated tons. Yet lone 1 aboveground ember excavation – the Usibelli excavation – is operational, supplying astir 1.2 cardinal tons annually to neighboring states and Asian allies. 

Coal mines besides incorporate captious minerals required for our modern life, a world unearthed by President Trump during his archetypal term. He has already taken steps to grow sourcing captious minerals for nationalist security.

MY FAMILY TRIED LIVING EUROPEAN-STYLE AUSTERITY. ONE STATE'S INSANE ENERGY AGENDA WANTS THAT AS A MODEL

Alaska is affluent successful captious minerals including graphite, lithium, tin, tungsten, uncommon world elements and platinum-group elements – indispensable to mundane products Americans demand. Flake graphite, a large constituent successful lithium-ion artillery anodes, is presently 100% imported, but Alaska could supply home supply.

The authorities is besides an lipid and state titan, yet astir of the earthy state produced is not brought to marketplace due to the fact that of deficiency of pipeline infrastructure.

During President Trump’s archetypal term, the lipid and state manufacture successful Alaska supported 47,300 full jobs, provided $4.6 cardinal successful labour income to Alaska and contributed $19.4 cardinal to Alaska’s full gross home product, which was much than 35% of the state’s full GDP. 

By contrast, the erstwhile medication each but ended lipid and state drilling connected the North Slope and canceled the 7 remaining leases for drilling connected the coastal plains, sacrificing economical growth, vigor security, affordable reliable powerfulness procreation and prosperity for each Alaskans.

AMERICA'S ENERGY CRISIS IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT AND IT'S WORSE THAN YOU KNOW

President Trump’s imaginativeness for america to unleash oil, gas, ember and adjacent captious minerals successful Alaska could make billions of dollars successful gross and thousands of high-paying jobs. 

Producing this bounty would acceptable america connected a way to fulfill President Trump’s imaginativeness for U.S. vigor dominance.

We can’t spend not to nutrient Alaskan energy.

Native Alaskans Have a Voice

I was fortunate to sojourn with the Chenega Regional Development Group, LLC and autochthonal Alaskans of the Chenega people connected this trip. What struck maine was their kindness, resilience and openness to vigor improvement successful their state.

While much than fractional of Alaskans unrecorded successful Anchorage, Juneau oregon Fairbanks, astir autochthonal Alaskans don’t – they inhabit overmuch of the bluish and southwestern regions.

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Native Inupiat Eskimos successful Northern Alaska person said they bash not privation to beryllium suspended successful the 19th century, and astir of the 20th erstwhile they struggled with nary electricity, moving water, toilets oregon sewage management.

They person struggled to enactment warm, and successful galore cases, person astir died from hypothermia erstwhile they lived without capable vigor and location heating.

All Americans indispensable person entree to capable energy and location heating. Climate activism cannot basal successful the mode of entree to captious vigor resources.

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We tin produce and present energy, turn the economy, make jobs and simultaneously support the environment. It’s not a binary choice. It’s a substance of urgency, humanity and nationalist security.

Alaska’s bonzer assets imaginable volition assistance to powerfulness the Great American Comeback and pb America into its Golden Age of success. 

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