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Secretaries Wright and Burgum, from Alaska's North Slope, Announce Reopening of Petroleum Reserve and ANWR Development

June 2, 2025 · U.S. Department of Energy · 0:03:53

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What happened

Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined Fox News from the North Slope of Alaska. Asked the difference between the Biden and Trump administrations on energy, Wright said it is a whole different attitude after four years in which the North Slope was shunned and essentially sanctioned, reducing quality of life and opportunities for the people there; he said residents at the town hall the night before could not have been more excited to be set free after living off the land for 10,000 years, and that the administration wants to give them back their freedom and let their energy free, as he stated it.

Burgum said the two were at the northernmost place in the United States, the North Slope Borough — an area the size of Montana that includes the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and ANWR, two areas President Trump has set free for development, as he stated it. He said the people there care about the land, wildlife and their communities and know development can be done safely and smartly, and that when it happens it benefits every American and helps national security by letting the United States sell energy to Pacific allies so they do not have to buy from adversaries — a key part of President Trump’s energy dominance strategy, according to his remarks.

Asked what the team will do over the next three and a half years — the host noted at least seven leases canceled by the Biden administration — Wright said they will follow the rule of law, respect the sovereignty of the people there, and let them work responsibly with oil and gas developers to get energy flowing again, growing oil production and ultimately unleashing a tremendous amount of natural gas that will transform lives on the North Slope and in Anchorage and Fairbanks, as he stated it. Burgum added that at the town hall they announced the opening of a comment period — 60 days — beginning the process of turning around a number of Biden rules that, he said, illegally locked up development in the National Petroleum Reserve, an area set aside for development and energy, according to his remarks.

Why it matters

The joint appearance from the North Slope is the administration’s launch statement for reopening the Petroleum Reserve and ANWR — including the dated start of a 60-day comment period to reverse the prior rules, as Burgum stated it.

Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, “Secretary Wright and Secretary Burgum join Fox News from Alaska - June 2, 2025”, 2025-06-02 (official upload, embedded above; published 2025-06-02). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.