Biden administration moves toward approval for major Alaska oil drilling project

President Joe Biden’s administration on Wednesday recommended a scaled-down version of a major oil drilling project in the North Slope of Alaska, taking a step toward approving the $8 billion Willow plan that climate groups have long condemned.

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management released an environmental analysis that proposes lowering the number of drilling sites from five to three under the project, which is led by ConocoPhillips, Alaska’s largest crude oil producer.

The Biden administration has 30 days to issue a final decision on whether to approve the Willow...