By Layla Roy
The Willow Project is an oil drilling operation of enormous scale set for Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve. This area, owned by the federal government, can hold as much as 600 million barrels of oil.
The 30-year project was launched by ConocoPhillips, an energy company based in Houston that has generated controversy for its oil drilling, exploitation of nature, and risk to indigenous communities. In 2020, the Trump administration approved the project and sanctioned five drill pads. The Biden administration has reduced this to three, which will limit the company to drilling about 90% of the oil.
Conoco already has leases in the area, so the Biden administration was constrained in its ability to place restrictions on the project. They ascertained that they couldn't have dismissed or significantly minimized the project legally, or they might have been subject to severe fines as well as legal action from ConocoPhillips.
The project received approval from the Biden administration on March 13, meaning construction can start, but due to legal issues, it's uncertain when it will. Because Willow requires ice roads to build the rest of the project's infrastructure (which consists of hundreds of miles of roads, pipelines, and a processing facility), construction on Willow can only be done during the winter months. The winter season in Alaska could end in April, based on recent weather reports.
Native Alaskans, including those from the Native village of Nuiqsut, are extremely concerned about the effects a critical oil development will have on their health and the environment. Due to the high levels of pollution they are exposed to, their population already has high rates of chronic illnesses like cancer and respiratory conditions. Willow would also have a negative effect on the migration paths of the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd, which is one of the village's main food sources.
Additionally, according to projections from the Biden administration, the project would produce enough oil to emit 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually. Biden promised to stop new oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters during his 2020 presidential campaign, but the drilling restriction was overturned by a federal judge in 2021. Since then, the Biden administration has had to make a number of locations accessible for new drilling.
Supporters of the Willow project, including lawmakers from Alaska, promise that it will generate fossil fuels in a more environmentally-friendly manner than importing them from nations like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. However, several environmental groups have spoken out against the Willow Project. An environmental law organization called Earthjustice is anticipated to file a complaint against the project. Construction could be delayed for at least a year if such organizations are successful in obtaining an injunction. Additionally, Willow sparked extensive activism from the general public in the form of over one million letters written to the White House in protest of the project as well as a Change.org petition with almost 5 million signatures.
Works Cited
"Biden administration and Conocophillips say no to the willow project." Change.Org,
"Biden Administration Says Yes to the Willow Project. We’ll See Them in Court." EarthJustice, 13 Mar. 2023
Nilson, E. "The Willow Project has been approved. Here’s what to know about the controversial oil-drilling venture." 14 Mar. 2023
CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/politics/willow-project-oil-alaska-explained-climate/index.html
Puko, T. What is Willow? "How an Alaska oil project could affect the environment." The Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023