HJR 2 is a nonbinding Alaska House Joint Resolution urging the U.S. Congress and the incoming Trump administration to reverse a recent federal administrative withdrawal of approximately 625 million acres of the Outer Continental Shelf from future oil and gas leasing. The resolution frames offshore development as important to Alaska’s economy, job creation, affordable energy, and national energy security, and it specifically criticizes restrictions affecting offshore areas near Alaska as well as broader coastal areas of the United States.
The resolution also highlights Alaska’s Cook Inlet as a critical energy area, arguing that insufficient natural gas production there could lead to energy shortages in Southcentral Alaska and force costly liquefied natural gas imports. It asks federal policymakers to restore flexibility under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and to balance energy development with environmental considerations, while sending copies to federal leaders and Alaska’s congressional delegation.
Impact
Because HJR 2 is a resolution rather than a statute, it does not change Alaska law or regulate private conduct directly. Its practical effect is to express the Legislature’s official position, direct advocacy toward federal officials, and support efforts to reopen offshore oil and gas leasing opportunities, especially in areas affecting Alaska’s energy supply and resource development interests. It is aimed at federal policy and could influence Alaska’s lobbying posture on offshore leasing, Cook Inlet development, and broader energy policy.
Sentiment
The sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of offshore oil and gas development and strongly opposed to the Biden administration’s offshore leasing withdrawal. The resolution presents the issue as one of economic security, energy affordability, and national security, and it calls for immediate reversal by the Trump administration and Congress. No opposing testimony or vote record is provided in the materials, but the bill’s framing indicates a clear pro-development, anti-restriction stance.
Contention
The main point of contention is the federal withdrawal of offshore acreage from leasing, which supporters of the resolution view as an overreach that harms Alaska’s economy and energy future. The resolution also implicitly pits energy development against environmental and conservation concerns by arguing that federal policy has prioritized restrictions over collaboration. Another likely area of disagreement is the emphasis on Cook Inlet and offshore drilling as solutions to energy shortages, which may be contested by those favoring renewable energy, conservation, or stricter environmental protections. No committee debate or recorded votes are included, so the specific positions of individual legislators are not available.
Overturn Biden’s Offshore Energy Ban ActThis bill nullifies two presidential memoranda that were published on January 6, 2025, including (1) the Memorandum on the Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Oil or Natural Gas Leasing, relating to the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); and (2) the Memorandum on the Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Oil or Natural Gas Leasing, relating to the Bering Sea areas of the OCS. The memoranda prohibited the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing offshore leases for the exploration, development, or production (i.e., offshore drilling) of oil or natural gas in those areas.This bill reverses the withdrawal to allow BOEM to issue leases in those areas.