Jobs and Revenue
Both the oil industry and the U.S. government have been moving forward very cautiously, in consultation with stakeholders and with unprecedented preparations for drilling and oil-spill response. Leaders from the state of Alaska and the North Slope Inupiat community advocate proceeding with Arctic drilling. They badly need the jobs and revenue, as well as the oil volumes to keep the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in operation. Although some people cheer the suspension of oil exploration in Arctic waters, this is a major setback for U.S. energy development.
Americans must find ways to reduce oil consumption. But we will still require lots of oil for a long time. If that oil doesn't come from the Arctic or other parts of the outer shelf, it will very likely come from places with weaker environmental and labor protections than we have in the U.S. Given these realities, we should not abandon the quest to determine the extent of our offshore oil resources and how much can be recovered in a responsible manner.