The Biden administration strayed further from American energy independence once again, as the Department of Interior canceled two oil and gas lease sales in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, The Hill reported.
There was “lack of industry interest in leasing in the area” of Cook Inlet, Alaska, the department said in a statement to Axios.
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In the Gulf of Mexico, the DOI cited legal complications as reasons not to go through with two lease sales. “The Department also will not move forward with lease sales 259 and 261 in the Gulf of Mexico region, as a result of delays due to factors including conflicting court rulings that impacted work on these proposed lease sales,” the statement said.
While the Alaska situation seems to be fairly routine, the Gulf of Mexico decision appears to be the administration’s way of throwing in the towel and handing another victory to left-wing environmental groups.
The administration’s decision to cancel more oil and gas lease sales is bound to draw scrutiny from conservatives and Republican lawmakers, as there is currently a major push to pump more oil in the United States amid the Russia-Ukraine war and high gas prices.
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