Inletkeeper Blog
The “Big, Beautiful Cook Inlet” (BBC1): March Lease Sales Move Forward without New Environmental Reviews
Instead of conducting updated environmental analysis, on the BBC1 lease sale the administration indicated it would rely on reviews completed in 2017 during the first Trump administration. Inletkeeper has joined with community and environmental groups to formally notify Interior Secretary Doug Burgum of their intent to sue if the sale proceeds without required consultation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Relying on outdated reports disregards nearly a decade worth of analysis on the accelerating impacts of climate change, increased industrial activity, and updated science on species and habitat conditions.
Borough Mayors Should Shed Light on the Real Costs of AK LNG
If AK LNG relies on a nearly free ride from boroughs to have a chance at beating the high end of the cost range for imported LNG, then Glenfarne’s claim to bring affordable energy to the Railbelt must be taken with a grain of salt — a grain the size of a Nikiski beach boulder.
Inletkeeper’s Guide to Alaska Legislation
February 17, 2026 – The Alaska State Legislature
Offshore Oil Leases Are a New Crisis, Not an Answer to Alaska’s Energy Needs
Something that’s normally subtext became an unvarnished acknowledgement: federal policy consistently puts oil corporations first. Even when it makes no sense for anyone, including the oil corporations. For another example, look no farther than the Trump administration’s recent handling of oil and gas leases in Alaska.
What’s Next for Planned Offshore Lease Sales in Lower Cook Inlet
Last year, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) prematurely scrapped an offshore management plan that protected Alaskan coastal waters from oil and gas leasing. Now, the agency is planning multiple leases for Lower Cook Inlet in their new 5-year plan. It’s vital that we continue to speak up for our coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries, and what’s best for our local economies. Learn what happens next.
Offshore drilling is political theatre, not an energy solution
As the Cook Inlet gas we’ve historically relied on for heat and electricity becomes more expensive and precarious, the Trump administration is offering a golden chance to prolong our dependence, spend more on energy, and create a long-term drag on our economy by doubling down on what isn’t working. What’s the price of this opportunity? Only a 1-in-5 risk of major oil spills, which increases with each new piece of extraction infrastructure. The art of the deal!
Not interested? Well, it’s your lucky day. BOEM is signing you up anyway.
Communities Sound the Alarm Over New Federal Offshore Drilling Plan for Cook Inlet
Five new oil and gas lease sales are proposed for Cook Inlet under the federal offshore leasing plan.
The Rising Risk of an Oil Spill in Cook Inlet | Tikahtnu
Of all the risks Cook Inlet has faced in recent decades, one of the most insidious — and the most dangerous — is the risk of a major oil spill. But how do we measure risk, and how has the way our government offers offshore oil and gas leases steadily increased that threat over time?
We can’t risk turning climate pollution into water pollution
Carbon capture has a host of uncertainties upstream of the injection well. But let’s set aside for now the unsolved technological question of how CO2 can be affordably captured at any significant scale. Likewise the economic and political questions of how to price and/or police carbon to make polluters capture it. What concerns do we have about pumping CO2 underground, and the vigilance needed to be sure it doesn’t harm the people and ecosystems above?
11th OCS 5 Year Plan Talking Points & Comment Guidance
Front and center talking points: With new offshore oil and gas development, it’s only a question of when accidents and spills will occur. It doesn’t have to be on the scale of the Exxon Valdez disaster to be a catastrophe for Cook Inlet. A recent estimate from Lease...