In a letter sent to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today, the U.S. Energy Department (DOE) conveyed its support for including the Alaskan Arctic (Beaufort and Chukchi Seas) and Cook Inlet in the 2017-2022 offshore leasing program.  Among other things, DOE noted that the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System flow “is at risk of declining below the rate that is required to keep the pipeline operational” and called on BOEM to “acknowledge any analysis that identifies the energy security, economic impact, energy systems strategic value of TAPS to ensure continued operations in the coming decades.”