On August 3, 2026, the Department of the Interior announced a proposed rule to revise existing federal regulations governing exploratory oil and gas drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on August 6, 2026. 91 Fed. Reg. 50998 (Aug. 6, 2026).
The proposed rule would incentivize further fossil fuel production, reduce regulatory barriers, and increase greenhouse gas emissions. Its publication supports President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14153, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.”