BLOOMBERG • March 10, 2023
The Biden administration has decided to authorize a mammoth ConocoPhillips oil project in northwest Alaska, rejecting arguments from environmental activists who insist it will exacerbate climate change. After weeks of deliberations, senior advisers have signed off on the move, which represents one of the most momentous climate decisions yet for President Biden. ConocoPhillips would be permitted to drill from three locations across its Willow site in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, unlocking an estimated 600 million barrels of oil as well as some 280 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions tied to burning it. Environmental groups have dubbed Willow a potential carbon bomb.